Misted Flame and Flight Unearthed
by MercuryMoon
Summary: This story is moot. o.o Not being updated and has resurfaced as a new story. Tenkyoku Heiden if you are interested. Keeping this up for my own records as it is no longer on my computer.
1. Taiitsukun's Idea

Ok, this is my THIRD version of this story. --;;; How sad... I keep on not liking the way it's turning out so I'm rewriting it over and over again... (Also because it's drifting away from the mental plan I made in my head.) -- Ah yes, I am so brilliant, aren't I? XD Anyways, this is a better version of the story and it explains more stuff. I'm also going to try to bring the Gods into this story more. I wasn't originally going to post this version up, but what the heck, who cares? XD Annnyways, on to the fic.  
  
Disclaimer: FY and all its wonderful characters belong to the creative mind of the author, Yuu Watase! WoOoOoooOooo! Keep on writing, Watase!   
  
**Misted Flame and Flight Unearthed**  
  
_ Chapter One – Taiitsukun's Idea_  
  
Many years had passed since the fourth God, Suzaku, had finally been summoned. Life was peaceful in the five kingdoms. Tenkou had been sealed away and would be so for another five hundred years.  
  
_ Five countries, but only four Gods. I must do something about that_, Taiitsukun thought to herself. Nyosei, the all-women kingdom, had yet a God to summon and watch over their land. The names of the previous four Priestesses ran through her mind. Takiko, Suzuno, Miaka, and Yui. Two had died, two had lived. Yui, the last Priestess to come to this world, had died, but had been brought back to life by her best friend, the Priestess of Suzaku, Miaka. Three she had guided, and she would have helped Yui if she had the chance. Unfortunately, Nakago, leader of the Seiryuu Seven, had worshipped Tenkou. Poor Yui, if only she had arrived a hundred years later. Kutou wasn't really a bad country; Yui just had had the worst possible luck upon arriving. To believe that she had been raped, her emotions twisted until she went against her best friend, who was innocent of all the charges Yui had placed upon her, expect for the fact that she had removed their connecting link once returning home. She pitied her youngest son, Seiryuu. In an effort to protect Konan, Miaka had sealed him away for all eternity. The Seiryuu Seven had lost their powers. _Or what was left of them_, she thought wryly to herself. Out of the seven, only one had survived, and only because he had lost his memories. But then even Amiboshi had died, killed after saving Yui from Tenkou's clutches. Luckily, she had managed to unseal her youngest in time to banish Tenkou away with the help of her other three sons. But now, all twenty-eight seishi were about to be reincarnated. _Perhaps all of them shall lead happier lives this time. The life of a seishi is cursed indeed. Die, or live on with the death of your friends and the leaving of your Priestess with you until you yourself die.  
_  
Nyan entered the room and joined Taiitsukun on the balcony. The two stood together in silence for some time. The girl no longer looked the child of five she had been when Miaka and Yui were in their world. Taiitsukun smiled inwardly. The girl had indeed grown out well.  
  
"Taiitsukun, are you ever lonely?" Nyan asked.  
  
"Yes. Often. With all four Gods summoned, it gets lonely these days. Although the four of them are here, they're busy off doing their own thing. The seishi themselves are no longer needed and don't hang around here often, as no Priestess will ever come back into our world." Her long silvery hair blew in the wind as she remembered the events of the past. "All five lands are peaceful. Tenkou is gone, sealed away for another five hundred years."  
  
"Yes, and Chichiri will no longer be with us after he's reincarnated. I'm going to miss him, Taiitsukun. I want him to stay with us. He's such a cheerful presence." She turned to look at the deity. "Do you think Chichiri will come back to us when he's older? I would love it if he could!" Nyan looked pleadingly into Taiitsukun's eyes. "Please, do you think you could arrange it so he could?"  
  
Taiitsukun looked sternly at her. "Nyan, you know we can not mess with a person's life. It is Chichiri's own decision if he wants to come back to us or not. I sincerely hope he does not, considering what caused him to last time."  
  
"I know, but still..." her voice trailed off. "It would be wonderful if he could..."  
  
Taiitsukun suddenly raised a hand. "Nyan, did you sense that?"  
  
Nyan frowned and nodded.  
  
"Tenkou's back," the two said at the same time.  
  
"But how can he be back? I thought Miaka managed to seal him away for at least another five hundred years!"  
  
"I don't know for sure. I have a slight idea, but right now, we have to reincarnated the twenty-eight seishi as fast as we can," Taiitsukun mused. It was a pity, because they were most likely enjoying their last few days at Mt. Taiyoku. "Nyan, help me summon the seishi from wherever they are! The sooner we do it the sooner Tenkou will be defeated."  
  
Nyan nodded and teleported away.  
  
Taiitsukun sighed and stared at the serene sky a little longer, then left the balcony to find her sons. Just when she had thought they had reached peace...

* * *

Chichiri and Mitsukake headed to the river, fishing gear in hand. Chichiri readied his fishing pole and settled down by the bank. Mitsukake sat next to him and watched the birds flit around.  
  
"So are you excited about being reincarnated, no da?" Chichiri asked.  
  
"I don't know. I died when I was only 22, so I didn't get a very good chance at life." He smiled. "But I'm glad I did what I did. I was able to save Shouka."  
  
"But Mitsukake, you didn't have to die! If you hadn't died, then you could have saved Hotohori, no da."  
  
Mitsukake replied heavily, "I know. But even if I knew the future, I think I still would have done as I did. Shouka... she was my life. And Hotohori, he was just a fellow Constellation. I never really got the chance to know him as well as the other Suzaku seishi did." His eyes clouded over. "But I wish I could have done something for Nuriko and Chiriko. Those two were real friends, and I couldn't help them." He looked at his hands. "What is my healing power good for? Why did Suzaku choose such a weak power for me? Does he think me not worthy?"  
  
Chichiri placed a hand on Mitsukake's shoulder. "No, he knew it was because you wouldn't want to hurt anyone, no da. Just look at your past self. That's why you were such an excellent doctor. You couldn't help but try to help people to the best of your ability."  
  
Suddenly, Nyan popped in front of Chichiri and landed in his lap. "Oops," she said sheepishly, blushing furiously. She could smell his scent, a light soapy scent, and she quickly rolled off him. "Sorry, Chichiri."  
  
Chichiri turned red, but luckily, Nyan didn't notice. "It's ok, no da. So what's happened?"  
  
Nyan became serious. "Tenkou's been unsealed. Taiitsukun's decided to reincarnate the twenty-eight of you early. She wants me to find all of you so I can tell you guys. Do you know where everyone else is by any chance, Chichiri?"  
  
Chichiri thought for a moment. "Let me try to sense them, no da. Hmm... Tasuki's with Chiriko and - WHAT?! Tasuki, I'm ashamed of you! Taking Chiriko to a bar! Are you insaaaane, no da?!"  
  
Mitsukake stood abruptly. "Chichiri, I'm going to find some of the Genbu Seven. Namame was with Iname, if I remember right. Try to sense the others."  
  
Chichiri was still muttering about underage drinking. Then he looked up. "I'm sorry, no da. Mitsukake, did you say something?"  
  
"I'm going to find the others, all right?" Mitsukake repeated. "Nyan, do you want me to find the rest of the Suzaku seishi, too, or just the Genbu?"  
  
"Both would help. Thanks, Mitsukake." Nyan grinned cheerfully, then looked adoringly back at Chichiri.  
  
Mitsukake sighed and left.

* * *

Hikitsu and Tomite surveyed the scenery around them. They would soon be reincarnated. Tomite glanced at the bow he was holding in his left hand, then at Hikitsu. The two of them had been through a lot together, what with the journey with Takiko and the other Genbu seishi, then guarding the Genbu Shinzaho together. At times, they hadn't gotten together too well, but now the two were best friends.  
  
"Hikitsu, what do you want your new life to be like? Same as before?"  
  
The one-eyed seishi turned to face Tomite. "My old life was interesting, and it had both good times and bad. I learned many things. But this new life? I don't know. I suppose I'll just take what I get. What about you, Tomite?"  
  
Tomite shrugged. "I don't know either. But I just hope my new life won't be boring. Of course, being a seishi is never boring, but since Genbu's been summoned, there won't be much we could do. Get what I mean?"  
  
Hikitsu nodded. "Yes. I don't even know if I'll know it's you when I meet you after we're both reincarnated."  
  
Tasuki burst into the room. "You guys, we've got trouble! Tenkou's been unsealed! Taiitsukun's called th' group of us early to reincarnate! Go find th' others for meh, couldja?" He whirled out of the room and raced to find the Byakkou seishi.  
  
Tomite and Hikitsu blinked. "Could you understand him?"  
  
Tomite shook his head. "Nope. Only that Taiitsukun wanted us to find the other Genbu Seven and go meet her."  
  
The two shrugged and left the room.

* * *

Soi and Nakago looked deeply into each other's eyes. After several centuries, Nakago had finally accepted her love. Oh, how she loved his long golden hair, his tender blue eyes. His gentle smile reserved just for her. She kissed him gently on his cheek as her hands explored his muscular body. She loved the way he felt. His skin was smooth under his armor and clothing. She laid her head on his chest and breathed in his masculine scent.  
  
Someone knocked on the door. Soi felt a puff of annoyance. Whoever that person was had the worst timing in the world. "Who is it?"  
  
The person opened the door. "It's Tomo. Taiitsukun's called a meeting of all twenty-eight of us. Where are the others?"  
  
Nakago answered for Soi. "Suboshi and Amiboshi are in the garden. I believe Amiboshi's playing his flute. Or," he sneered, "Amiboshi could be with the Suzaku Seven. You never know these days. Perhaps he should be reincarnated as a Suzaku seishi instead of a Seiryuu."  
  
Tomo nodded. "All right. I'll go look for them. Thank you, Lord Nakago."  
  
He closed the door behind him and left the two lovers alone. _Nakago.... So I suppose Soi's your only lover now... I guess I wasn't good enough for you._ He blew out. _Time to find the others._ _

* * *

_  
There were many things he missed from his past life. Sure, being at Taiitsukun's palace was nice, but the only people he could talk to were the seishi. He missed his older brother. He slid his knife back into its sheath and leapt off the tree. He landed softly on the grass and crouched down. His long, dark green braid slipped off his shoulder and touched the ground. His light grey eyes looked alertly around. All right. There was no trouble around him.  
  
Tokaki teleported in front of him. "Toroki! Taiitsukun's called a meeting of all twenty-eight of us! Mitsukake told me it's really urgent! Come on! Everyone else should be there already."  
  
Toroki didn't say anything, but he nodded to show he had heard. Standing, he leapt into the air and landed on a branch. He continued leaping until he found the others, Tokaki just behind him. He landed, softly as a cat, besides Amefuri.  
  
-Hey, what's happened so far?-  
  
-Taiitsukun hasn't told us yet. Where were you? I was looking for you,- Amefuri asked.  
  
-On my favorite tree watching time go by. You?-  
  
-Nothing much. I was talking with Hatsui again.-  
  
Taiitsukun clapped her hands and Amefuri and Toroki stopped their mind-conversation.  
  
"You may all be wondering why I've called the twenty-eight of you together. This is because Nyan and I have discovered that Tenkou has been unsealed. He was supposed to be sealed for another five hundred years, but somehow, he's been released. We must do something about it in order to prevent him from destroying the world. We need your help in order to seal him away again."  
  
Tasuki blurted, "Whadya want us to do?"  
  
Taiitsukun frowned at him. "I was getting there. Now, as I was about to say, I am going to have to reincarnate all of you as soon as possible so we can deal with the threat. I will need volunteers to help Nyan, Suzaku, Byakko, Genbu, Seiryuu, and me to fight Tenkou as we don't have a Priestess to summon a God anymore."  
  
The seishi looked at each other. Fight Tenkou? How would they do that? Tenkou was extremely powerful, nearly the equal of Taiitsukun! Tamahome raised his hand.  
  
"Taiitsukun, just how are we going to help you fight? We're just seishi. Our powers aren't strong enough without a Priestess to protect."  
  
"As I said before, I will need volunteers. I will explain everything after I have fourteen." She looked at each of them carefully. "Be warned, for there is a high chance that you may be killed.  
  
Chichiri immediately raised his hand. "You can count on me, no da!"  
  
Chiriko asked timidly, "Is it all right if I help, too? I know my power's only intelligence, but I could help."  
  
Taiitsukun smiled gently at him. "Yes. Any help is wonderful."  
  
Mitsukake spoke up. "I'll help, too. In a battle, there'll definitely be injuries, and you'll need someone to help heal them."  
  
Tomite and Hikitsu looked at each other. "We'll help, too."  
  
"I too shall help. I want revenge against the demon who killed me at my second chance of life," Tomo put in.  
  
Taiitsukun beamed. "Wonderful! Now we only need eight more people."  
  
Hatsui raised his hand. "My Earth powers may not do too much against his Wind and Water, but I should be able to help, too."  
  
Tatara, Kokie, Karasuki, Amefuri, and Toroki all raised their hands. "We'll help, too."  
  
Iname spoke up. "Since Tomite's helping, so will I."  
  
Tamahome said cheerfully, "I'll help if you pay me some money!"  
  
Nuriko threw a shoe at him and knocked him out. Then he turned to face Taiitsukun again. "I would help, but you already have fourteen seishi."  
  
"So would I," Tasuki chimed in.  
  
Taiitsukun nodded approvingly. Then she clapped her hands for the seishis' attention. "All right, the fourteen of you who volunteered will get additional powers. The first seven will be known as the Seven Constellations of Taiitsukun. The other seven would be Nyan's but she doesn't have enough chi to support all of you. Chichiri, since you were the first, you will be the leader and in charge of finding the thirteen of them as you age. Understand? Now time to reincarnate all of you. Follow me." She turned and left the room.  
  
The seishi stood up and followed her and Nyan, who had become Nyan Nyan. The deity stopped in front of a closed door. "All right. This is where the reincarnation process begins. None of you will remember this when you have begun your new lives. All of you come in." She magically opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
The seishi followed her and there was a group gasp when they saw the inside. Mirrors. Mirrors that reached the floor from the sky-high ceiling to the carpeted green floor. And floating in the room were twenty-eight bubbles, seven of each of the four Gods' colors. "Step inside one of the bubbles marked by your God's color."  
  
Each of the Constellations complied and chose a bubble. Chichiri, Mitsukake, and Chiriko chose bubbles next to each other. Amiboshi and Suboshi's were next to each other, too. Tomo made sure to stay away from Suboshi. He still hadn't quit forgiven him for killing him before and wanted to make sure he wouldn't try to do anything to Suboshi. Toroki watched as Kokie and Karasuki smiled at each other, then stepped into the yellow bubbles next to him. He sighed inwardly to himself.  
  
The other seishi quickly chose their bubbles and awaited Taiitsukun's orders. As soon as she saw that everyone was finished, she clapped her hands once. The bubbles slowly rose.  
  
"As soon as you disappear from this room, you'll be reincarnated. While all of you are in your bubbles, I'll give the fourteen of you your powers. However, you won't discover them until your sign glows black. Got that? For the later seven, instead of black, your sign will be grey." She closed her eyes and made a motion with her hand. Immediately, bubbles began flying toward Chichiri, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Tomo, Tomite, Hikitsu, Hatsui, Tatara, Amefuri, Kokie, Toroki, Karasuki, Tamahome, and Iname.  
  
The room darkened and the bubbles containing the seishi vanished.  
  
Nyan turned to Taiitsukun. "Taiitsukun, please, can you let me help them? They won't know what to do!"  
  
Taiitsukun gave her a long look. "All right, Nyan. But you are forbidden to tell them anything. Their memories must come back on their own. If you tell them, your human body will die. Understand? They must remember on their own!"  
  
Nyan nodded.  
  
Seeing this, Taiitsukun said, "All right. Step through a mirror and I'll send you after them."  
  
As soon as Nyan did so, Taiitsukun clapped her hands and the girl vanished, traveling to join the others.  
  
Taiitsukun sighed. They were in for a long war. "Suzaku, Byakko! I want you to guard the front entrance. I'm going to go to my room to work on strategies."  
  
The two Gods appeared before the deity and nodded. "Yes, Mother." Then they vanished. Taiitsukun followed suit and returned to her room.  
  
A figure appeared in the reincarnation room. He looked around and whispered softly, "So. You think you have outsmarted me? I have already infected some of your chosen ones, Taiitsukun." He laughed and disappeared.

* * *

One thing I have noticed is that the first two chapters aren't that good. =.= My apologies about that. 


	2. A Well's Beginnings

This chapter has been rewritten, so it's better now. Fits more with the style I have for writing now. All this because of Clarinet. Thank you for the advice you gave me! Not sure how much better it is, but at least it goes more into his past, right? o.o;

**Disclaimer:** FY and all its characters belong to their original owners. I have just taken the liberty of twisting the plot around so it fits my own selfish ideas. XD Original idea of Taiitsukun having her own seishi belong to Kitty and me. No stealing! :P

_Several years pass..._

**Chapter Two – A Well's Beginnings**

Chichiri, who had been reborn as Shou Hidoen, lived in a small village surrounded by trees, with fields where the peasants grew their food to the left. He and Meiran were his parents' only children, but it wasn't as odd as it would have been several centuries ago. Nowadays, most parents only had two or three children. It was simply too expensive to house more than that many offspring.

As before in his past life, Hidoen befriended two other children. Kageyo and Tsuriko, who were brothers. Kageyo had been born with a stillborn twin sister. He, although he was only four to Hidoen and Tsuriko's ten, constantly ran after them, trying to keep up with them just as little brothers always did. However, despite the six-year difference, the three of them were extremely close. They even had nicknames for each other. Kageyo was Chichan, Hidoen was Richan, and Tsuriko was Tsuchan.

"Chichan, hurry up! You're falling behind!" Tsuriko called.

The four-year old struggled behind the two older boys. "I can't! Your legs are this much longer than mine because you're older!" He stopped and panted, his light brown hair drooping. "Wait for me!"

"But so? You can run at least!"

"Aw come on, Tsu. We should wait for Chi," Hidoen said good-naturedly. He, unlike Tsuriko, was more patient with Kageyo. He looked around, wondering where Meiran was, but when he didn't see her, shrugged. If she wanted to help their parents, it was her choice.

The two of them waited until the little boy caught up, then immediately ran into the forest. Adventure, as always, would await them, something Hidoen and Tsuriko had learned since they had first set foot into the cheerful woods.

........

Three years later during a drought period, their happy childhood came to come to an end. Because of continuous crop failures, Hidoen and Tsuriko's fathers decided to move. However, they were to go to different areas of Konan. Hidoen to a village near the Shouryuu river, and Kageyo and Tsuriko to the capital, Eiyo.

"Richan!" A plaintive voice cried.

Hidoen, who was thirteen by now, turned toward Kageyo's voice. He bit his lip, for he had long dreaded this encounter. He didn't want to move to a new village where he wouldn't know anyone and would have to make new friends. Why did they have to move? He hated the drought, for that was what forced them to move. Why didn't Suzaku grant them rain? It didn't make any sense. Was their God trying to make them suffer?

Kageyo threw his arms around Hidoen's neck. "Richan!" He rubbed his head against the older boy's shoulder. "Richan, I want you to move with us."

Hidoen smiled. "Chichan, you know that isn't possible." A little sigh escaped from his lips. "Father's always been a farmer, so he wants to keep at it. Your father on the other hand, knows some scholarly work. He could easily find work in the city."

"But..."

It was always difficult to say goodbyes, and that was something Hidoen was beginning to learn. Meiran had told him something of this, but it hadn't prepared him for the aching in his heart. Would he never see his two friends again? He clenched his fists. No. He couldn't think that way. Quickly, he removed the rosary, a family heirloom, from his neck and placed it around Kageyo's neck. "Here. You can keep this. As a promise that we'll meet again."

Kageyo's green eyes went round. He knew what a precious treasure the rosary was and wasn't sure if he could keep it from harm. After all, he was only a seven-year old and knew little of the world around him. The boy gulped and promised himself that he would guard the rosary with his life. But what could he give in return? Then a thought popped into his head and he drew back from Hidoen, a secretive smile on him. "Wait."

Quickly he turned and ran back into his house. Where was it? Where was that scroll his father had? Although Kageyo knew he shouldn't take the scroll from his house, it was the only thing he had of value that he could give his friend. After a few minutes of searching, he found the battered scroll and ran back outside to Hidoen, thrusting it into his friend's hands. "Here. This is a scroll that has magical powers. It belonged to my father, but he said he would give it to me when I was older. You can have it until we meet again, ok? But don't ever open it unless you're really in trouble and need help. That's what Father told me!"

Hidoen tucked the gift into his shirt and his lip trembled. "It's a promise. We'll meet again and exchange our presents when we do." He looked over to his house and saw the horse and cart all ready. "I... I suppose I need to go now." With a small gasp, he flung his arms around Kageyo and hugged him tightly. "We'll see each other again, I promise," he whispered.

Kageyo mutely nodded, and Hidoen broke free, turning on his heel and sprinting as fast as he could toward his house. He couldn't look back, because if he did and saw Kageyo's face, he would start crying, and that was something he had outgrown five years ago.

There was a lump in Kageyo's throat, and no matter how he swallowed, it refused to go down. He heard his brother's footsteps behind him, but didn't turn.

"Sis..." Tsuriko said quietly.

Kageyo, who had refused to live her life as a girl from the start and refused to change her dress when children took on their proper outfits at three. That secret had been carefully guarded in the family, with not even their closest friends knowing. But it didn't matter to Tsuriko and Kageyo, for she had been as good as a boy in all the games they played, despite their age difference. She finally turned, the tears that she had been fighting in her eyes. "Brother.."

Tsuriko noticed the rosary around her neck and smiled sadly. "That's Hidoen's isn't it?"

She smiled at her older brother. "Yeah. The two of us made a pact that we'd see each other again."

"Come on, Mother wants us to go home now." He took her hand and the two of them returned to their cottage. Memories of their games together still floated in Kageyo's mind however.

..........

After an hour-long journey, the Shou family was finally at their new home. They unpacked their belongings at the house closest to the river. Hidoen looked around silently, searching out for places he could play while bored.

Fifteen-year old Meiran noticed her younger brother not paying attention the moving and laughed. "Mother, we should let Hidoen explore the village. He's going to want some playmates now because Kageyo and Tsuriko aren't here anymore."

Madam Shou smiled. "Go along then, Hidoen. Go make some new friends."

Hidoen grinned and began running farther into the village. Along some bushes, he heard giggles and stopped. Slowly he walked toward the sound, curious. Who was there?

The chuckling became louder and two children, a boy and girl, popped out. The boy, who had dark navy hair tied in a ponytail, choked as he laughed. "I'm, I'm Ryuuno!" he finally managed to say between giggles.

Hidoen's eyes widened. The two kids looked about his age, too! What luck he had, he mused to himself. "I'm Hidoen," he promptly responded.

The girl, with two brown buns on her head and bright blue eyes, smiled. "And I'm Tenmai."

Hidoen grinned. It seemed he didn't have to worry about being lonely anymore. "Can you show me around the village?"

"Of course," Tenmai said and took his hand, pulling her with him. Ryuuno laughed and followed the pair.

...........

_Four years later......_

"Ryuuno! How could you do this to me?! You betrayed me!" Hidoen rushed at Ryuuno and started punching him. Rain poured down around the two of them, but he ignored it. All the shower was doing was feeding his rage at his two friends.

Ryuuno didn't respond for a little while, water dripping down his bangs. "All Tenmai and I did was kiss! Hidoen, listen to me!" He did his best to block Hidoen's blows. "It was nothing!" Finally, he got tired of Hidoen pummeling him so he began fighting back. "Hidoen!"

"Ryuuno, how could you steal Tenmai from me? How could you?" His anger blinded all reason. Hidoen pulled out his dagger and plunged it into Ryuuno before his friend could do anything.

Ryuuno's brown eyes bulged and he gasped. "Hi-Hidoen! What are you doing?" He yanked the knife out of his chest and flung it to the ground. Blood gushed from his wound and he staggered backward. "Tenmai and I didn't mean anything! I already told you! We just kissed! It wasn't even her fault! I forced myself on her!"

Hidoen was beyond reasoning, his amber eyes wild. Betrayal. It was something his seventeen-year old mind wasn't prepared for. "What do you mean, you didn't mean anything? Tenmai told me she was going to marry you instead! You call that not meaning anything?! Ryuuno, I want you to die!" he screamed hoarsely. Tenmai, the first girl he had experienced the stirrings of love for. Gone. All because of his so-called best friend.

Suddenly, the river level, which had been gradually rising, swelled and Ryuuno was caught in a wave that flung him over the shore. "Hidoen! Help me!"

Hidoen saw his ex-friend's plight and forgot his anger, rushing into the water. "Ryuuno, don't worry. I'll save you! I promise I won't let go!" He grabbed a rock on the bank and tightened his grip on his friend's hand. With a heave, he began pulling Ryuuno out of the water. "Almost there. Don't worry."

Ryuuno smiled. "I know. I trust you."

Hidoen strained. Ryuuno was almost to the shore, and despite everything, he couldn't let his friend die. "I'm going to get you out of there." He grimaced. "And after I do, I'm going to kill you."

A large log, about three feet long and six inches across, rushed down the river, zooming toward the two of them. "Hidoen, watch out!" Ryuuno shouted.

Startled, Hidoen instinctively let go of Ryuuno's hand to protect his face, but it was too late. The log slammed into his left eye. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he screamed in pain. It was unbearable! The pain was searing, as if his eye was on white fire, and he almost lost his hold on the rock.

"Hidoen, you promised you wouldn't let go!" Ryuuno shrieked as he plummeted into the river and vanished into its impenetrable depths.

"Ryuuno!" Hidoen screamed. He reached for his friend again, but was thrown back by a flash of red light. "NOOOOO!!!!" He hit the ground and fell to his knees, gasping with pain. _Ryuuno, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let go. _He clenched his fist, furious at himself. How could he have done this? His breath shivered out and he sighed. _I guess I should go tell the village._ He tore a piece of damp cloth of his shirt and bandaged it around his eye, successfully stemming the bleeding a little. _Da, this hurts so much, but no more than I deserve._

After several minutes, he was in sight of the village, standing on the hills surrounding it. He collapsed to the ground. _No. No way. NOOOOOO!_ He leapt up and started sprinting. Everywhere he looked, there was water. Only the tips of the roofs showed where the houses had once been. _Tenmai! Meiran! Mom! Dad! No, they can't be dead, too! _He slammed his palms into the earth, tears and blood mingling with the rain. _Everyone...._ He couldn't breathe. This was too much for him. He choked and let himself fall to the ground, weeping.

Hidoen felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Richan?"

Hidoen raised his mud-smeared face. "Meiran!" he cried happily. "You're alive! How can that be?" He hugged her tightly, accidentally staining her blue dress with his blood, for it had leaked through the cloth. "Meiran, I thought you died...." he sobbed. At least.. at least one other person from his family was alive.

Meiran knelt down next to her brother and wrapped her arms around him comforting. "No. I was out when the flood happened. Hidoen, what happened to your eye? And where are Ryuuno and Tenmai? Weren't they with you?"

"Tenmai killed herself and Ryuuno drowned," Hidoen replied dully. It wasn't something he wanted to talk about, especially since it was his fault his friend died.

Meiran looked down. "I see." Something was wrong. Things weren't supposed to happen this way.

Hidoen sobbed uncontrollably, clinging to her shirt. "Meiran, what am I going to do? I killed someone! It's all my fault Ryuuno's dead!"

Tears came to her eyes. _Hidoen..._ she didn't know what to do. This wasn't supposed to happen! How had this happened? It was a repeat of the past. She wrapped her arms around her brother tighter. "It's all right, Richan. Things will turn out for the better." She handed him her handkerchief. "They always do."

Blood stained Meiran's handkerchief as Hidoen wiped his tears away. "No, they won't. They never will." He removed Meiran's arms from him. "I'm going to remove all this pain. I can't take it anymore!" He stood and started running toward the river.

Meiran jumped up. "Hidoen! Wait!" When her brother didn't stop, her eyes flickered sadly. "Ok. I didn't want to resort to this, but... Richan can't die." She spread her arms out. "Freeze!" Hidoen immediately froze in place, his left foot raised.

Meiran walked up to him. "Richan, no, Chichiri. Stop. Please," she pleaded. "Don't kill yourself. There's still so much for you to look to." She looked into his eyes. "You don't know just how many people are depending on you."

Hidoen stared at Meiran disbelievingly as if he didn't know her. "Who are you? How come I didn't know you could do this kind of stuff?"

"I am your sister. But I am also Nyan from Mt. Taiyoku. I am one of Taiitsukun's helpers." She lowered her eyes. "I asked to be reincarnated with you so I could help you in your quest." Suddenly, she felt pain go through her chest. _No! Not now!_ She crumpled to the ground. "Hidoen...I, I can't tell you much more anymore. Only that you must remember who you really are. And that it is your job to protect our world!" She breathed one last sigh and stopped moving.

"Meiran? Meiran!" He grabbed her. "Meiran, wake up! You can't be dead! You can't be dead, too! Meiran! MEIRAN!!!"

A small violet orb rose from her chest. Hidoen watched it float up, knowing that it was his sister's soul. Tears came to his eyes. Was there any way to save her now? If even she died, he would be the sole survivor to his village. He hung his head. How had this happened? First Tenmai had killed herself, and then Ryuuno had drowned all because of him, Hidoen.

He closed his eyes in pain. It was a good thing Kageyo couldn't see him now. He took out the battered scroll his friend had given him.

Kageyo's soft voice spoke in his head, repeating his last words. _'Don't open it unless you really need help! That's what Father told me.'_

_If I ever needed help, this is the time._ He cracked open the seal and let it unravel.

Hidoen stepped back in surprise. The scroll had become a road of some sort! He cautiously took a step, uncertain of what would happen. The road seemed to beckon him to continue. Bracing himself, he took another step and walked down the scroll.

.......

Ok, I rewrote this chapter, thanks to Clarinet's advice.. Go check out her stories, too; they're awesome. :D


	3. Colliding Colors

Disclaimer: All that usual stuff about FY belong to Yuu Watase and whoever else helped/produced this series.   
  
** Chapter Three – Colliding Colors**  
  
Nyan opened her eyes. Her reincarnation had died, so her soul had returned to Mt. Taiyoku. She sat up in her bed and stretched, closing her eyes and smiling slightly. When she opened her eyes again, she screamed.  
  
"Suzaku! What are you DOING?!"  
  
The god looked at Nyan curiously. "What do you mean? All I'm doing is seeing if you're all right..."  
  
Nyan whacked her forehead exasperatedly. "That's not what I meant... I meant what are you doing in my ROOM?!"  
  
Suzaku pouted. "Well, you do happen to have the map of all the seishi in your room, you know? How else am I supposed to check on my seishi if you won't let me in your room? Besides, Taiitsukun asked me to check on you."  
  
Byakko poked his head in. When he caught sight of Nyan, he bit his lip and hurriedly strode over. Quickly whispering a few words in her ears, he backed away. "I am not sure, but it could be him."  
  
"I..." Nyan got out of bed and began running.  
  
"Nyan, wait! You're not completely healed yet!" Byakko called. He sighed as he watched the girl completely ignore him, using her magic to teleport to the main hall.  
  
Suzaku laughed. "That girl's changed a lot after five hundred years..."  
  
Byakko bit his lip. "For the better or for the worse? When she was still a little girl, she was able to deal with Tenkou, but now..."  
  
Suzaku grinned. "Look, we don't need to worry about her. Nyan can take care of herself quite well."  
  
Byakko didn't say anything, but a troubled look came into his amber eyes.

........  
  
Nyan bent down by Hidoen's side. "Chichiri..." she said softly. Quickly she duplicated herself and magicked her "brother" up. She placed her hands on the ground and teleported all of her copies and him to the healing room.

Taiitsukun sat in the mirror room meditating. A slight smile came over her face when she realized who was in the healing room. She touched the largest mirror with a hand and a map of the entire world sprung up. A frown came over her face as she noticed how much more destruction Tenkou had caused. _We must do something about him... But what?_ There wasn't much she could do at the moment until the chosen fourteen were revived. She knew she was counting a lot on the fourteen seishi, but it was her only that thought through her mind, she tapped the mirror and closed the map. For now, she would see what else she could do about warning the four kingdoms. "Genbu!"  
  
He shimmered in the air and appeared next to her. "What is it?"  
  
"Genbu, strategy is your specialty. Help me come up with some ideas." A small sigh escaped from her. "These days, I'm feeling more and more tired."  
  
"What if... Nyosei. Mom, Nyosei doesn't have a guardian yet, does it? You can create a deity for that country and somehow bring a girl from Takiko's world to summon the God and seal Tenkou away." He began to get more excited. "This could solve all our problems!"  
  
Taiitsukun raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea just how much energy that kind of thing could take?"  
  
Genbu shook his head fervently. "It doesn't matter! All four of us could help you, and I'm sure Nyan could, too!"  
  
The old deity smiled. "I'll think about it."  
  
"Do more than simply think about it. I'm sure that idea could work and possibly win the war for us."  
  
She closed her eyes. "I'll do my best."

.......  
  
Nyan bent worriedly over Chichiri, who had yet to awaken. She bit her lip and slowly passed a hand over his forehead.  
  
Suzaku came in behind her. "How is he?"  
  
Nyan bit her lip. "I'm not sure. It seems like he has a high fever. He's been injured deeply, not just on the outside."  
  
A twinkle came into his eye. "So are you going to be the one who heals him?"  
  
Nyan turned red. "His outside, yes, but his inside, I don't know if I can."  
  
Suzaku bent over the prone boy. "Let's see..." He put his lips to Chichiri's and began passing his chi over. After a few minutes, he backed away. "He should be better now." He began to disappear. "Tell me if he needs any more chi. I'll be in the Phoenix room." The red light vanished and the God was gone.  
  
Chichiri opened his eyes and started when he saw Nyan. "Meiran...?" He leaped up. "Meiran! You're alive!"  
  
"Sh! Chichiri, lie back down! You've only just recovered!"  
  
Chichiri lay down. "How... how long have I been here?"  
  
"Not long. Maybe a week or two." Nyan snapped her fingers and a bowl of soup appeared in her hands. "Here, drink this. It'll help you recover."  
  
"A week? But how's that possible?!" Chichiri touched his right eye. "It's.. it's not bleeding anymore!" He looked wonderingly at her. "Did you really die or was it just my imagination?"  
  
Nyan laughed. "Who, me? I, Nyan of Mt. Taiyoku, have never died. But the me in Konan... yes, Meiran did die."  
  
Chichiri touched his forehead. "All this dying stuff is making my head dizzy, no da." Nyan started laughing and he gave her a questioning look. "Now why did you start laughing?"  
  
A smile came over her face. "Oh, it's nothing."

........

Byakko looked over Sairou, a worried look on his face. Out of the fourteen seishi who had been chosen, five of them had been his. If they died in this battle... he shook his head. His seishi were all strong and difficult to kill. _Bah, God of War. He only has one seishi fighting for us. _Byakko drew a line across the sky and widened it.  
  
_"Husband!!! Quit girl-watching! You already have a perfectly fine wife!"  
  
"Aww... but why do you want to deprive me of pretty girls?"  
  
"Oh yikes, Subaru, don't hit him that hard!"  
  
"Hmph. I'll hit him as hard as I want."  
  
"Aiiieee!!! Someone help me! Kokie, Karasuki, anyone of you!"  
  
"Aww... not me?"  
  
"Well, you too, Amefuri! Just someone help!!"  
  
"How about we don't and see how well he handles this?"  
  
"Tatara, you are MEAN!!!!!"  
  
"Yeah yeah, whatever..."  
  
"Tokaki, get back here!"  
_  
Suzaku came into the room. "Byakko, what's up?"  
  
Byakko continued looking through the widened line. "I'm watching my seishi."  
  
"How interesting. Might I take a look?" Suzaku bent down and Byakko moved to the side. He chuckled. "So Subaru and Tokaki are still having fun fighting?"  
  
Byakko nodded. "Of course."  
  
Suzaku laughed. "They should have been my seishi.  
  
"Nahh... just because you're the god of love doesn't mean you can have all the seishi who love."  
  
Suzaku grinned. "That would be almost all of them, wouldn't it?"  
  
"Eh. That's true..." Byakko grumbled. "Anyways, care to have a look at your own seishi?"  
  
Suzaku shrugged. "Sure, why not?"  
  
Byakko stroked the line softly and drew another line over it. He touched two fingers to it and turned the line red. "There. All set."  
  
_"Let's set more things on fire!"  
  
"Genrou..."  
  
"Wha? It's fun!"  
  
"No need to show off yer skills...."  
  
"Meh, but I think it's cool!"  
  
"Whatever...."  
_  
Byakko clapped his hand and the scene thinned out. "Shall we look at Genbu's now?"  
  
"Aye, sure, why not?"  
  
Byakko bowed. "You may do the honors."  
  
Suzaku took his fingers and blew on them. With a quick swipe, he changed the color of the line to green. Then he widened it and stepped back. The two Gods leaned closer, only to be shocked by an electric bolt. Byakko jerked back. "What the...?!" Something began snaking out of the line.  
  
Suzaku fired a blast of red energy at the bolt and managed to obliterate it before it hit the pair of them. "That wasn't supposed to happen!" he shouted.  
  
Byakko slashed at the air and cut off the line. However, it merely duplicated, turning into more of the strange snaky lines. He slammed his hands on the ground and built up a shield. "Suzaku, what did you do?!"  
  
"I didn't do anything!"  
  
"Then what is this?!"  
  
Taiitsukun burst into the room, closely followed by Genbu and Seiryuu. "Byakko, Suzaku, what is the meaning of this?" She froze. "Tenkou!" She placed her hands in prayer position. "_Ban Bukyuu Chou Hou Na Hobaku Kan_!" A red wave spread from her hands and destroyed the snaking line.  
  
Byakko let down the shield around him and Suzaku. "That was Tenkou's work?"  
  
Taiitsukun lowered her hands and turned on the two. "Now. Tell me what exactly you did and where you looked."  
  
"I just improved on Byakko's spell." Suzaku stood up and came over to the smoking line. "We were checking up on Genbu's seishi. That's all."  
  
"I see...."  
  
Genbu raised an eyebrow. "And why would you want to watch my seishi? Don't you each have your own seven?"  
  
"Well, we already checked on Byakko and mine's, so we wanted to see how yours and Seiryuu's were doing," Suzaku explained. "We really didn't mean any harm."  
  
Taiitsukun thought for a moment. "The good thing about the two of you performing that spell is we now know that Tenkou's in Hokkan." She motioned to the line. "All four of you remember the line that I destroyed and what it looked like? Well, that was a portion of Tenkou's chi. I'm not quite sure what he was attempting, but he must be trying to figure out our plans, just as we're trying to figure out his. Genbu, you must be careful now. He's in your lands."  
  
"I'll kill him," Genbu growled. "I swear I'll kill him! How dare he invade my lands, spiritually or not?" He turned on his heel and was about to storm out when Seiryuu grabbed him.  
  
"Brother, stop. This is just the kind of thing Tenkou would want you to do."  
  
"How would you know? Only one of your seishi volunteered to help us!" Genbu retorted.  
  
"Hm. Don't remind me," Seiryuu said. He raised an eyebrow. "You're doubting me when it comes to Tenkou? Are you sure about that?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Look, I know him the best out of the four of us." He waved to Taiitsukun. "Maybe even more than Taiitsukun herself, no offense meant."  
  
"No offense taken, Seiryuu. Go on."  
  
"What I'm saying is that if you go to Hokkan to fight him, there's a chance you'll get killed. And with you dead, five out of our fighting forces will be gone, including you." Seiryuu leaned closer. "That'll give him an edge in the battle. Do you really want him to have that?"  
  
Genbu's eyes flashed. "I don't need you to lecture me, little brother."  
  
"You might as well take my advice, brother! I am the God of War!" Seiryuu shot back.  
  
"So? I'm the God of Strategic Warfare! I should be able to decipher this stuff myself without help from you!"  
  
Suzaku rolled his eyes. "Let's just say you both know what you're doing."  
  
"Stay out of this!" Both Genbu and Seiryuu shouted. "You wouldn't know anything about war, being the God of LOVE!"  
  
"What!" Suzaku exploded. "That is NOT fair! How dare the two of you say something like that?!" Energy began to spark in his right hand. "I know just as much as you do about warfare!"  
  
"NO!" Taiitsukun shot warning glances at all three of them. "Seiryuu is right. Genbu, if you go to Hokkan, Tenkou will kill you, no matter how strong you are."  
  
"But-"  
  
"I don't care. If we're going to win this war, we're going to need everyone. We can't afford to let people die." Taiitsukun glared at Genbu. "I expect better of you, being the oldest. And Suzaku, you could at least try to hold your temper in. Tenkou would really appreciate it if you killed Genbu and saved him the work of doing it himself." She turned on her heel and strode out of the room.  
  
Genbu shot a look at Seiryuu. "Now look what you did!" He muttered something and disappeared.  
  
Suzaku didn't say anything, but there was something stormy in his eyes. "This is the last time I'm involving myself in a fight between the two of you," he finally said bitterly. "I always get in trouble when I try to play peacemaker." He too left the room, leaving only Byakko and Seiryuu.  
  
Seiryuu clenched his fists. "I hate this!" He slammed into the wall and sighed. "Byakko, don't they see that I'm just trying to help? I don't want Genbu to get killed."  
  
Byakko blew out. "I'm sure he realizes that deep inside; he just doesn't want to admit it."  
  
Seiryuu pushed himself off the wall. "I'm going to sleep now. Night, brother."  
  
"Night." Byakko watched Seiryuu leave the room and turned back to the line, which had stopped smoking. A sad look came over his face. "How do you...." He shook his head. "I don't know what to do anymore..." He turned and glanced back one more time, then closed the door quietly behind him.

........

Most of this chapter is about the four Gods and Taiitsukun. I have taken the liberty of making up their own personalities so don't kill me for it. .


	4. Western Stars

Sorry about the late update; I have a writer's block on Chapter Five, so I didn't want to post the next chapter, but I was thinking, meh, it's just sitting here.. Might as well just update. :P

Disclaimer: FY and all its characters belong to Yuu Watase. The personalities for the Byakko/Genbu seishi not seen in the show however, belong to me! And I would also like to thank Kitty for giving me the original idea to this.

**Chapter Four – Western Stars**  
  
Chichiri spun his staff as he walked down the corridors of Mt. Taiyoku. Already it had been a week since he had healed from his wounds. Working with Suzaku and the other Gods had been quite an interesting experience, he mused. Byakko had been the most fun to work with, what with his quiet demeanor and the simple way he explained everything. Occasionally, the tiger God had cracked some jokes, making Chichiri laugh as he tried to practice his spells. Suzaku, on the other hand, was the easiest to talk to, extremely easygoing and cheerful. And Genbu, although he was surly, knew what he was talking about, making it pleasurable to discuss various matters with him. He was also extremely opinionated, stubbornly sticking to his point until he could convince everyone to agree with him. Although Chichiri didn't agree that that was always a good trait, it had helped the God win many a debate against him. His thoughts turned to Seiryuu, the most enigmatic of the Gods. Seiryuu didn't like to talk much, but whenever he did, he always added spice to a conversation. The dragon always tried to help his brothers, although they didn't always like his plans, with the possible exception of Byakko. He acted standoffish, but deep down, Chichiri knew that he cared greatly about his three older brothers. As for Taiitsukun... he bit back a laugh. He could still clearly remember the very first time he had met her.  
  
He had just woken up and headed down for breakfast. Suddenly, he saw the most hideous face. "DAAAAAAAAA!" He screamed and jumped onto the nearest object. Unfortunately, it proved to be Nyan. She tumbled down under his weight, and he ended up on top of her.  
  
"Um, sorry. Didn't mean to do that. It's just that that woman scared me, no da." He stared down. "Uh, I'm really sorry for landing on you." He lifted himself off her and helped her up.  
  
She nodded her head wisely. "After several hundred years, I'm used to it. That's Taiitsukun. She's going to be your instructor in magic."  
  
He gaped at her. Surely she couldn't be serious! "That's Taiitsukun, the Creator? But she's so ugly, no da!"  
  
She shushed him. "Don't let her hear you!" But it was too late. Taiitsukun had turned around and was glaring at him.  
  
"How dare you call my beautiful face ugly? Chichiri, I expected better of you. You're not Tamahome or Hotohori. It's all right for them, but you! I've knew you for more than thirty years in your past life!"  
  
"S-sorry....."  
  
She shook her head. "But it doesn't matter. Today's the day you begin training. Follow me."  
  
Chichiri shook his head and managed to clear his mind of the memories. Now wasn't the time to daydream about the past. He could do that when he went fishing in the afternoon with Byakko and Suzaku. He stopped spinning his staff and fingered the scroll Kageyo had given him. I wonder if I'll ever see him again. A smile came over his face as he remembered the gift exchanging the two of them had done. Someone tapped him on the shoulder and Chichiri turned around to see Nyan.  
  
"Chichiri, Taiitsukun wants to see you," Nyan said softly. "It's about something important."  
  
"All right, I'll head over right now then, no da."

. . . . . .  
  
Eighteen-year old Karasuki, one of the Byakko Seven, awoke. He had just had a vivid dream of a silver-haired demon stretching his claws at him, trying to draw him into his grasp. He thought for a moment. _Should I ask Kokie the meaning of this dream later? No, I shouldn't trouble her right now, especially since she's coming back today._. He got up from bed, flung the covers to one side, and walked to the window, where the sun was rising. He let the sun soak his skin and shook himself free of the nightmare he had just experienced. I_t's a new day, Karasuki. Don't spoil it with your silly worries_, he scolded himself. The rooster crowed, and he snapped out of his thoughts.  
  
"Karasuki! Are you up yet?" Amefuri shouted.  
  
"Yep! I'm comin' down, so y'all better watch out!" He sprinted out of his room, swung around the pole, and slid down the staircase banister. He landed cross-legged on the ground and spread his arms out. "How are the five of you doing today?" He asked cheerfully.  
  
They stared at him, aghast. Then a girl appeared from behind Amefuri.  
  
Karasuki almost fell over. "K-Kokie? What are you doing here? I thought you were still at the palace!"  
  
Amefuri laughed. "That was our surprise. We went before you woke up and got her."  
  
Kokie walked up to him and touched his forehead. "Karasuki? Are you feeling all right?"  
  
He blinked, then gently removed her hand. "Kokie, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine. I just had a really strange dream earlier."  
  
Her blue eyes stared worriedly at him. It felt like she was reading his mind, something he wasn't sure he wanted her to do. "Karasuki, are you sure? I mean, you don't normally act like this."  
  
Tatara looked up from where he had been sitting. "Kokie's correct. What has gotten into you today?"  
  
He wanted to yell in frustration that nothing was wrong, but that would have convinced the four of them that something really was wrong. "Look, it was nothing but a bad dream, got it? Now stop bothering me. I want to eat. Who cooked?"  
  
Tatara looked like he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. "Amefuri did."  
  
Karasuki sat down and picked up a bowl. He silently filled it up with rice porridge and began eating. The other four stared at him for another moment. "What? Are the four of you still worried about my dream?"  
  
Finally, the five of them finished eating. Subaru and Tokaki joined them, having finally woken. "Hey, what's up, guys?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Nothing? All right, then Tokaki and I will head down to the marketplace and buy some more goods, all right?" Subaru grinned. She stretched up and pecked his cheek. "Tokaki, let's go." She grabbed his arm and jerked him out the door.  
  
"Subaru, watch it! I'm going to need this arm one day!' Then, he added an afterthought. "Of course it isn't every day that I get jerked by a hottie! Kokie, how about you? Would you like to-"  
  
Subaru slapped him at this. "Quit your girl chasing habits, Tokaki! Sheesh, we're married for a few months and this already?"  
  
Tokaki tossed her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, forgot. It sure is hard being married. No more 'girl-chasing" as you call it."  
  
Subaru gave him a frosty glare. Finally, she sighed. "Some people never change, eh?" She grabbed him by the ear and began dragging him out the house. "Come on, let's go."  
  
"Ow, ow, ow! Subaru, let – Ow! – go!" Karasuki, Kokie, Toroki, Amefuri, and Tatara heard Tokaki shouting as he and Subaru disappeared.  
  
The five of them glanced at each other, then all except for Toroki, burst into laughter.  
  
"Didja see the look on Tokaki's face? Hehehe, that was so funny! Kokie, ya sure showed him!"  
  
Kokie blushed. "Karasuki, I didn't do anything. That was Subaru."  
  
"Psh, does it really matter? You gave Subaru an opportunity to show Tokaki who's boss!"  
  
For the first time since this morning, Toroki spoke. "I just sensed a dark force near us. Don't you think we should prepare for it?"  
  
Karasuki gave him a weird look and tried to hide his worry. "What weird force? I sure didn't sense anything."  
  
Tatara looked at Kokie and Amefuri. "Did the two of you sense anything?"  
  
Amefuri thought for a moment. "For a second, I thought I did, but I thought I was just imagining it."  
  
Kokie didn't say anything; she just stared at the ground. "I-I should have mentioned this earlier. A few days ago, I had a really strange dream. There was a silver-haired demon who was trying to grab me. I consulted my crystal ball immediately and-"  
  
Karasuki interrupted her. "Wait. You had a dream about a silver- haired demon, too?"  
  
"So, the two of you had that dream, too? Hmm, I find that extremely interesting. Kokie, what did that dream mean?" Toroki slipped in.  
  
"Wait, so now three of you had that dream, too? How strange. That's the exact same dream I had just two days ago." Tatara mentioned.  
  
"Ok, this is going to get even scarier. I had that dream about a week ago, but mine was slightly different. There was blood all over the place, and I saw my ghost. There were also seven other people in that dream. Two girls and five guys. Kokie, what does this dream mean?"  
  
Kokie's eyes instantly filled with tears. "Oh, Amefuri!" She whirled around and fled the room.  
  
Amefuri stared blankly after her. Finally, he asked Karasuki, "What was that all about? I mean, you're her cousin. Ask her for me, could you?"  
  
Karasuki nodded, then took off after her. He ran into her room, where he found Kokie sobbing on her bed. "Kokie, what's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, Karasuki." She flung her arms around him and wept. "Amefuri, he, Amefuri's going to die! That's the meaning of his dream. Karasuki, something terrible's going to happen and Amefuri's going to die because of it!"  
  
"No! Kokie, you have to be wrong! Amefuri's not going to die! Kokie, look at me." She lifted her head off his shoulder. "Nothing bad is going to happen, and Amefuri is especially not going to die." Karasuki wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. "I promise."

. . . . . .

Chichiri opened the door and peeked in. Taiitsukun was sitting on a mat mediating. He was about to back away when Taiitsukun opened an eye and motioned him in.  
  
"You called for me?" he asked as he sat down next to her.  
  
Taiitsukun waved her hand and a map appeared in her hand. She spread it across her lap. "Look. Here are all twenty-eight of the seishi." She pointed out his sign. "Here's yours, Chichiri."  
  
Chichiri bent down. "Oh, and there's Mitsukake and Chiriko's!" He looked at Taiitsukun curiously. "Why are you showing me this, no da?"  
  
She gave him a long look. "You remember Tenkou, right?" she finally asked him.  
  
He nodded. "Miaka sealed him away back in the old days."  
  
Taiitsukun passed a hand over the star map and half of them lit up. "Look closely," she said quietly. "Do these look familiar to you?"  
  
Chichiri said all the names softly and looked at Taiitsukun. "Besides Chiriko, Mitsukake, and Tamahome, I don't know who the people could be, no da. But..." his fingers traced first Tomo, then Hatsui's signs. "I sense a significance in these."  
  
"You were supposed to remember on your own, but I suppose it doesn't really matter now." The lights blinked out and she turned to face him. "Before you were reincarnated, you and thirteen other seishi volunteered to help us fight against Tenkou.  
  
"You remember Nyosei?"  
  
"Yes." A smile came over Chichiri's face as he reimbursed in past memories. "That's where we all had to cross-dress and Mitsukake almost got killed, no da."  
  
"Well, my plan right now is to create a new God and seven new Constellations so a new Priestess may be brought to our world and destroy Tenkou once and for all." Taiitsukun looked at her hand and a black orb appeared in her hand. "Nazo, Arashi, Kaminari, Chou, Kizuna, and Kiri..." As she said each name, a character swirled up. "These are the names of the seven seishi of Nazunu, Steel Wolf of Nyosei." She gently set the orb down. "As of now, I have not yet sent these souls down to the world. I will be doing so soon, but until then, I need people to help Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, Genbu, Nyan, and I to fight against Tenkou. Will be you be one of them?"  
  
Chichiri stroked his face. "I would be happy to help, no da, but I'm not sure if I'm strong enough."  
  
At that, Taiitsukun smiled. "What do you think you've been doing this past week? Just be a rock and not do anything?" A smile came over her face and she chuckled. "I'm only teasing, Chichiri." Her tone changed however. "But we only have a week more of training before you have to set out to gather the seishi."  
  
"Seishi?"  
  
"The seishi who volunteered to help fight," Taiitsukun revised. It seemed that Chichiri didn't remember everything after all. She would have to do something about that. But even she wasn't allowed to return memories to a reincarnated person. She would have to figure out a way he could remember himself.  
  
Chichiri began pacing around. "This is something I'm supposed to remember, isn't it? I can just feel it."  
  
Suzaku burst into the room. "Taiitsukun! Trouble in the West quadrant! We need your help now!"  
  
Taiitsukun gave Chichiri a look. "We shall continue this conversation later."

. . . . . . .  
  
Toroki looked up. He thought he had sensed something. No... why would someone attack the Byakko seishi? He glanced at Karasuki and Kokie, then Tatara and Amefuri. Tatara was thinking deeply, most likely of Suzuno, his love from his past incarnation. Amefuri just stared at his food, still surprised at Kokie's interpretation of his dream. Toroki peeked at Karasuki and Kokie from the corner of his eye. The two cousins were still leaning next to each other, with Kokie hugging Karasuki as tightly as she could. Byakko, how he wished he were Karasuki. He didn't remember how long he had loved Kokie, but it was longer than he could remember.  
  
"Um... do any of you sense anything?" Amefuri hesitantly asked. "I get the feeling that someone's about to attack us."  
  
Karasuki cocked his head. "You're right, Amefuri. Ok. Listen up, everybody. Power up, 'cause somebody's 'bout to attack us." To Amefuri, "Thanks for the warning."  
  
Toroki shoved his braid off his shoulder. "Don't thank him until we're safe, Karasuki."  
  
Karasuki laughed. "Toroki, you're such a pessimist. The seven of us can handle anything!" he replied confidently.  
  
_Oh?_ Toroki thought to himself. _Well, we'll see soon enough. _He reached behind him and drew his sword out. Then he started powering up, preparing to use his telekinesis against the attacker.  
  
Tatara plucked something from his hair and a seed appeared. It began to unfurl and the vines started waving around in preparation.  
  
Kokie pulled away from Karasuki and got her crystal ball out. She peered into it and paled, as if seeing a ghost.  
  
"Kokie? Are you all right?" Karasuki asked. Ever since she had married the Emperor of Sairou, he had always been worried about her. If only he was able to visit her more often; he would know if she was being treated right. He had heard of how jealous concubines could often gang up on a favored wife and torment her.  
  
Kokie touched her forehead. "I pray my crystal ball is wrong. For if it is correct, our lives are indeed lost!"  
  
"Lost?" Amefuri whispered.  
  
"What did you see?" Tatara asked urgently.  
  
"The demon from our dreams comes to attack us. And he has never been defeated. The most one could do was seal him away for a hundred years. Karasuki, what are we going to do?"  
  
He narrowed his eyes. "We're going to do what we have to do. Fight him, even if we die."

. . . . . .   
  
Taiitsukun examined the map of the five kingdoms in the War Room. She slid a finger over Sairou. "Chichiri, this shall be your first test on how well you have trained. Go to Sairou and battle one of the Byakko seishi." Innately, she knew that Tenkou, her arch-nemesis was heading that way. However, this was the perfect way to see if Chichiri was ready to start the real journey, especially if the Byakko seishi were expecting a real enemy. She knew that she would be able to hold off Tenkou for a little while with the help of the four gods.  
  
Chichiri tapped his staff on the ground. "Why battle them? Aren't they our allies, no da?"  
  
"That's exactly why you should, because they would know when to stop," Taiitsukun explained. She knocked her staff on the ground and a circle of light was revealed. "Go through this and you'll reach Sairou."  
  
Chichiri nodded and stepped into the circle. There was a flash of light and he vanished.

. . . . . .   
  
Something went off in Toroki's head and he glanced at the wall. Someone was coming, but was he good or bad? He touched the dagger in his hair and he felt his sign flare up on his forehead. Luckily, it was covered by his bandana, but... His gray eyes looked around alertly and he shot a look at Amefuri. Amefuri gave him a nod. So. The Rain Net had sensed it, too. He wondered if Karasuki, that childish fool, had sensed it, too.  
  
Karasuki took a step back and watched the wall. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what it was. The wall began swirling, turning into a violet vortex. Toroki seized his dagger and flung it at the wall.  
  
Chichiri caught it between his fingers. "Whoa, watch it there, no da. You could have killed someone!"  
  
Tatara raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be?"  
  
Chichiri grinned. "Chichiri, no da, of the Suzaku Seven. Taiitsukun sent me to test myself against one of you."  
  
Karasuki nodded his head slowly. "Is that so?" He looked over at Toroki. "Toroki, how would you like to try?"  
  
The ninja's eyes flashed, but only Amefuri caught the anger in his eyes. "As you wish," Toroki answered. He pulled another dagger out of his hair and flipped it in the air. "I'll be using weapons, if you don't mind."  
  
"Weapons against magic? Toroki, are you sure that's a good idea?" Karasuki asked.  
  
"You don't trust my skills?" Toroki responded silkily as he moved forward.  
  
"No, it's just that Chichiri's been trained by Taiitsukun."  
  
"Look, let's just start," Toroki snapped. He untied his bandana and revealed his sign. "Let's go."

. . . . . .  
  
Right.. anyways, I have a block on this story, just like almost every other one.. T-T I'm trying to get rid of it though. Heheh. Once I get past this part, it should flow smoothly. Hopefully. :P Anyways, thanks to those who have reviewed so far. Anyways, the Byakko seishi are back. :P  
  
And yeahhh.. I'm sorry about the fact that this doesn't run too smoothly. -- ;; Part of it I wrote a long time ago as part of a different story, so now you know why. :P  
  
By the way, if you read, please review. --;; Feedback is VERY GOOD. :P


	5. Sharpening the Staff

Beware of a little Chichiri OOCness. XD

Disclaimer: FY and all its yadda yadda yadda belong to its original creators/publishers, along with Yuu Watase.

I suck at making disclaimers :P  
  
**Chapter Five - Sharpening the Staff  
**  
Chichiri watched Toroki carefully. His opponent reminded him of Mitsukake, although his temper was entirely different. There was something bitter in it, as if he had suffered much in the past. He touched the new set of prayer beads Taiitsukun had given him. "Eternal Flame!" Inside he knew that Toroki was going to manage to dodge the attack, but he didn't care much. After all, at the moment, he was just testing his opponent's skills.  
  
Toroki leaped in the air and unleashed a whip from his sleeve. He did a flip and dodged the fire, landing silently on his feet. His eyes flashed and his whip glowed eerily. The flames were thrown back, rushing at the wall Chichiri was standing by.  
  
Chichiri thrust his staff into the ground, using it as a lever to leap over the flames. As he jumped, Toroki flung stars at him and he twisted to avoid them. _We have to take this outside! The shrine could get destroyed this way, no da._ As he flew through the air, he tapped the ground several times and sprinted across the floor and out the door. Toroki followed him out the door, flashing his whip on the ground.  
  
Chichiri felt the whip catch his leg and he tripped, the staff landing under his leg. Shit, had he broken his leg? When he tried to get up, a spasm of pain speared through him and he gasped.  
  
Toroki leapt into the air, his sword in his hand and ready to deliver the finishing blow.  
  
Chichiri closed his eyes, waiting for the blade to cut into him. _'Hidoen, you promised you wouldn't let go!'_ The sign on Chichiri's knee flashed black and all the moisture in the air rushed at him. Ryuuno..! He flung his hand out and a wave of water hit Toroki.  
  
Toroki was flung back as the water hit him. It overwhelmed him, forcing his weapons from his hand and washed him into the neighboring lake.  
  
Amefuri's eyes widened. Toroki! He untied his outer robe and dived into the water, frantically searching for his friend. Out of all the Byakko seishi, it was he alone who knew his friend was deathly afraid of water and couldn't swim.  
  
The sign for 'rain net' flared on the left side of his torso as wind surrounded him. Amefuri closed his eyes and sensed for Toroki. His friend's chi was weak, too weak. He swam as fast as he could, pushing the seaweed aside as he searched.   
  
On the shore of the lake, Chichiri gasped both in surprise and pain. He looked at his hands. When had he gotten that power? And what was a lake doing in the middle of the desert? Then he remembered where he was. Of course. If the Byakko seishi stayed at their shrine, they would of course need a source of water.  
  
"They haven't resurfaced yet..." Kokie said worriedly.  
  
Karasuki frowned. "I know Amefuri's a good swimmer, but Toroki...." He wasn't sure about him; the ninja was a complete mystery to him.   
  
Tatara bit his lip and began undressing, stripping to his pants. "I'm going in after them."  
  
He was about to dive in when there was an explosion in the lake. Everyone covered their eyes as a bright light shone from the lake, Amefuri rising above it.  
  
Amefuri leaped to the ground, Toroki in his arms. The ninja was unconscious, but alive.  
  
Tatara, Karasuki, and Kokie rushed over. "Toroki! Is he all right?"  
  
Amefuri set Toroki down gently by the lake and heaved him a sigh. "I got him out before he swallowed too much water, but I'm still worried."  
  
Tatara closed his eyes. "Thank Byakko."  
  
Amefuri nodded. The bun at the top of his head had unraveled, so it flowed over his shoulders. "Yes."  
  
Chichiri tried to get up, but he fell, wincing slightly. "I'm sorry, no da. That wasn't supposed to happen."  
  
Amefuri gave him a slight smile. "It's all right. You don't need to worry about Toroki; he's been through a lot worse." He noticed the odd position Chichiri's legs were in. "Now you..." He clapped his hands together. "I think we need to do something about you."  
  
Chichiri stiffened, but he decided to give the Byakko seishi the benefit of the doubt. Amefuri came over and placed a hand on Chichiri's leg. His brow furrowed. "You have a broken leg here." He sighed and placed his other hand on the leg, closing his eyes in the process.  
  
Chichiri felt a warm light envelop him and the pain in his leg gradually vanished. He heard Amefuri mutter a few words and the warmth left him. When he opened his eyes, he sensed power emitting from Amefuri.  
  
"You're..." Chichiri almost couldn't believe it.  
  
Amefuri smiled. "Aye."  
  
.........  
  
Byakko's eyes flew open. One of his seishi had just released a huge amount of power, enough to alert Tenkou, who was most likely after his seishi anyways. He flung his blanket off him and teleported out of his room. It was vital that Taiitsukun was alerted as soon as possible.  
  
..........  
  
The pen fell from her hand. She had just sensed a huge burst of power from Sairou. She bit her lip worriedly. Was something wrong?  
  
She rose from her seat and donned her coat. This was definitely something she had to investigate.  
  
..........  
  
Tatara carried Toroki inside while Karasuki supported Amefuri, who was weak from loss of chi. Kokie and Chichiri walked behind.  
  
Chichiri held the door open for Kokie. "I'm sorry," he said softly.  
  
She looked at him in surprise. "For what? Surely you don't mean about Toroki, right?"  
  
"No, for bursting in on all of you like this."  
  
The girl didn't say anything and he wasn't sure what to say either. What could one say in a situation like this?  
  
Tatara set Toroki on the table and closed his eyes. He plucked a seed from his hair and laid it on his palm. It began to grow steadily and soon formed a cage around Toroki, shielding him from the winds of the desert. He turned to Chichiri. "Now why are you here?"  
  
Amefuri leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Tatara, leave the man alone. Toroki's safe now."  
  
"I should explain why I'm here," Chichiri said. "I already told you about how Taiitsukun sent me here to test myself. In truth, I'm one of the Taiitsukun seishi." He didn't know how he came up with or if it was even true, but it seemed to fit somehow.  
  
Tatara nodded, accepting that. Karasuki raised an eyebrow. "Really? When did the Creator have her own seishi?"  
  
Chichiri wasn't quite sure how to explain it. He didn't even quite get it himself. It had something to with Tenkou though, he knew that much. Of course, one couldn't forget that he had coined that name himself. How was he supposed to explain that? He finally opened his mouth and spoke.  
  
Taiitsukun, he explained, had chosen seven seishi before all of them had been reincarnated to help her, Nyan, and the four Gods fight Tenkou. He was one of them. He wasn't quite sure who the other six where, but Taiitsukun had told him that their signs would be black instead of their usual colors. In addition, there were seven other seishi who had volunteered their services. It was his job to find all fourteen of them.  
  
Karasuki tapped his chin. "How do you know when you've found one of those fourteen seishi? I mean, I could be one, Kokie could be one. One out of two, anyone could be one. The chances are too big."  
  
"Taiitsukun told me that I would know."  
  
Karasuki nodded. "I see."  
  
Toroki rose from where he lay. "So now you're the Creator's boy?" He coughed violently, his eyes burning with an emotion unlike hatred. Above all things, he feared water, and this impudent monk had just flung him into a whole lake of it. On top of that, right in front of the Byakko shrine, a place where his powers should have been at it strongest. He could barely hold in his anger; his emotions were like a simmering volcano about to explode. For a moment, Amefuri and the others were glad of the vine cage surrounding Toroki. They knew what he could be like once his temper was aroused.  
  
Chichiri hesitated. "Perhaps I should leave now, no da. Taiitsukun is expecting me." The hatred surrounding him was extremely thick and it was suffocating him. He wished again that he hadn't unleashed that last attack at the ninja. He didn't even know how he had done it! He touched the leg that had been broken. "Thank you, Amefuri."  
  
"Go," Toroki spat. He slashed at the vines surrounding him and slid to the floor. "I will kill you yet, Well. I would do it now if we weren't in the Byakko shrine and I risked defiling such sacred ground."  
  
...........  
  
He laughed. The negative energy in the air was delicious. Most satisfying. He could feel it vibrating through the air, so intense it was. Ah yes, this indeed was the perfect opportunity.  
  
...........  
  
As of now, I'm making a RPG out of this, so if you're interested, e-mail me about it. There's a link to it in my profile.

And yes I know I focused on Amefuri a lot in this chapter. :P I do have a reason though, so yeap yeap.  
  
See you people next chapter!


	6. Musings

Disclaimer: FY and all its characters belong to their respective owners, etc. Ideas to this story/plot belong to me; no stealing. Original story idea created by Kitty and me, Mercury.

-grin- Enough from me now, on to the story!  
  
** Chapter Six – Musings**  
  
There was a flash of light and Chichiri appeared in the hallways of Taiitsukun's home. He fell on his knees. He hadn't meant to cause so much trouble, but unintentionally, he had.  
  
He heard whistling coming from one of the other corridors and bowed his head, not wanting to face anyone at the moment. The gravel of the floor crumbled in his fingers and whispered phrases ran through his head. He couldn't catch all of it, but he knew what they were saying. A failure, a monster who destroyed everything he touched. A young man barely in his twenties already accountable for the death of his best friend and had nearly killed a fellow seishi. Chichiri clenched his fist. Why hadn't he let himself die that time? It would have been an easy death too, and he would have paid for his crimes.  
  
The whistling stopped. "Chichiri, you're back!" Suzaku strolled up to him. "How did the test go?"  
  
There was a pained look in his amber eyes as Chichiri raised his head. His lip trembled and he didn't answer.  
  
Suzaku frowned. "By Taiitsukun, you didn't kill any of them, did you?"  
  
"I.... Toroki would have died back there if Amefuri hadn't saved him." He refused to cry, but the tears welling up in his eyes were making it difficult; the stinging made him want to release his tears. Funny. He had thought his tear ducts were dry after all the weeping he had done the day Ryuuno and everyone else in his village had died.  
  
"Guilt is the enemy of Now, and Now is all we have," Suzaku said casually.  
  
"What?"  
  
Suzaku looked at him. "Do you get it?"  
  
"....No.."  
  
"Don't let it bother you," Suzaku translated. "If you remember the mistakes you made in the past, you won't see the opportunities of today."  
  
Chichiri could begin to sense what Suzaku was trying to get him to understand, but he wasn't quite ready to raise himself from the burdens of the past. Maybe someday he could do it, but not now. About Toroki however... He hoped the Byakko warrior would forgive him through time.  
  
Chichiri smiled waveringly. "Thank you."  
  
He felt warmth surround him, an emotion similar to love and extremely different from the chilling waves of hatred. "It's my job."  
  
........  
  
There was a sweet breeze in the air as Nyan walked through the gardens. She knew there was an impending war, but she couldn't help herself. Before it all exploded into an era of endless battles, she wanted to be at peace first.  
  
She reached up and felt the tender leaves of the weeping willow hanging over the bridge she was standing on. Water flowed smoothly beneath her. A soft melody played in the wind and her eyes softened.  
  
Byakko came into view, a wooden flute in his hand. The song continued to play, although the instrument wasn't touching his lips.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
His slight body, extremely lithe just like a tiger, leaned next to her. For the first time, Nyan couldn't help but notice his scent. Rough, but with a gentle bearing to it. Byakko looked at the sky. "War. What an atrocious thing it is. You realize this, right? My brothers and I always knew it would happen, but we hoped it would take much longer for it to finally unfold." His amber eyes, cat-like in their appearance, met Nyan's brown ones. "Tenkou has waited a long time for an opportunity such as this one. The seishi are at the peak of their powers."  
  
Nyan realized this of course. But she knew Byakko was trying to tell her something else. Exactly what it was she didn't know. There was, however, definitely sorrow underlying everything the tiger God was saying.  
  
"There will be no relief for us; we may even be killed. Our only hope...." Byakko closed his eyes. "A Priestess to once again save our world."  
  
A Priestess. Nyan digested the information carefully, for she knew the chances a Priestess arrived in their world now were very slim.  
  
Byakko continued to speak. "Our only mistake was not killing Tenkou when we had the chance. We hoped he was an honorable enemy; we didn't want to kill him because he had fought well against us. In truth, we wanted him to side with us, but it was not to be." He sighed and pushed himself off the ledge of the bridge. "No matter, I shall leave you to yourself now."  
  
Nyan watched Byakko walk away, his white robe fluttering in the breeze. She had known all of this of course, but it was all from secondhand knowledge as it had all happened before she had been born. She smiled a bit. This was the first time one of the Gods had confided to her in the six hundred years she had been with Taiitsukun.  
  
........  
  
Genbu watched from a distance as his brother walked from Nyan. He wondered what their conversation had been about, but knew better than to ask.  
  
He worried about his seishi, but refused to say so. It was not in his nature to display anything other than surliness. He resented this, but it couldn't be helped. Pride. That was his worst enemy.  
  
He leaned his hand against his chin and thought. Over the years, Tenkou had been building up power while they hadn't noticed. Who knew how strong he was now. The demon had always had a lust for power, and no one knew how far he would take things. He supposed he shouldn't muse over these things any longer. The answer would come given time. One never knew the future anyways, and it wasn't good to perform guesswork about it.  
  
Genbu moved to the table where he had set up a map of the world. His fingers traced over the land of Hokkan. His people. He wanted to do something for them to insure their protection, but what was he supposed to do?  
  
Now his hands were stroking a wooden carving next to the map. It was a sculpture of a horse, the pride of his people. Genbu rose and clenched his fists, his mind set. There were some things he had to take care of.  
  
.........  
  
Taiitsukun closed her eyes as she meditated, waiting for Chichiri to arrive. She knew the task before him was no small one, and he had to be prepared for it.  
  
Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Taiitsukun said.  
  
Chichiri opened the door and closed it behind him. Taiitsukun immediately sensed that her young disciple was not at peace. Through the years she had known him however, she knew she shouldn't mention anything.  
  
"You summoned me?" Chichiri finally asked.  
  
"I won't ask how the test went. However," Taiitsukun turned so she faced him. "I have a request for you."  
  
Chichiri nodded mutely. He had a feeling where all of this was going to lead.  
  
Taiitsukun continued, although she knew Chichiri was hurting inside. It had to do with what had happened against the Byakko seishi, but until he told her what had happened, she would have to wonder. Somehow, she had to build him into the leader the seishi needed. "Do you know who the Taiitsukun seishi are?"  
  
She noticed the expression of surprise on his face, but it quickly disappeared. Chichiri shook his head. "I know of them, but you never told me exactly who they are."  
  
Taiitsukun flew up to the ceiling and touched it. A chart of the skies spread, and Taiitsukun clapped her hands. Seven of them immediately lit up. "These are the seishi I'm talking about, the ones who volunteered."  
  
Chichiri craned his neck so he could see them. "Tomo, Chichiri, Mitsukake, Chiriko, Tomite, Hatsui, and Hikitsu." He glanced at Taiitsukun. "No Byakko seishi?"  
  
Taiitsukun touched the ceiling again and seven new Constellations sprang up. Chichiri identified them out loud. "Tamahome, Karasuki, Kokie, tatara, Amefuri, Toroki-" his voice caught for a moment, but he continued. "And Iname." A thoughtful look came into his eyes. "You want me to find these seishi, too, no da?" Without thinking, he had let up on some of his stress and had said his trademark 'no da.'  
  
Taiitsukun allowed herself a brief smile. "Just the first seven. We'll find the others later." She tapped the ceiling and the stars disappeared. "You will need this." She waved her hand and a black orb appeared in her hand.  
  
Chichiri took it. "Is this like the one Miaka used to find Tasuki and Mitsukake?"  
  
"The very one."  
  
"I see." Chichiri tucked it safely in his cloak. He didn't know how he was taking this so calmly, but he was. "So what should I bring?"  
  
"That," Taiitsukun said as she began to smile, "is your own decision."  
  
.......  
  
The morning had ended and Chichiri was in his room packing his bag. His hand touched the scroll Chichan had given him. For a moment, he wanted to go back to the old days, when the only things a kid had to worry about was whether or not his playmates were free. The good days, he thought. Then he remembered Ryuuno and Tenmai. Again he wished that they hadn't died. It was true that the two of them had betrayed him, but he, Hidoen, hadn't helped matters much. He had refused to hear them out, wholly believing they had sinned against him and were lying to save their faces.  
  
A small sigh escaped from him and he tied his bag. There wasn't much else he need, except for provisions until he reached the capital of Konan. Most likely one of the Gods would give him some if he asked, so he didn't need to worry about that.  
  
He heard the door open and turned. Nyan was holding a package in her hands wrapped with red silk. "Chichiri..."  
  
He quickly forced a smile, not wanting to show he had been depressed just a few moments ago. "What is it, no da?"  
  
She couldn't hold in her emotions anymore. "Chichiri...!" She fell forward into his arms and he felt his shirt begin to dampen. "Chichiri, I don't want you to go...."  
  
For a moment, he caught a flash of what Nyan could have been like as a little girl. Chichiri hugged her, feeling her hair against his cheek. "This is something I have to do, no da."  
  
"Don't kill yourself then," Nyan said as she laughed shakily. "In this life, you're still my little brother."  
  
Chichiri was silent. Then he pulled away from her, having been struck with a sudden idea. "I know! How about I make a doll of myself?" He placed his hands in prayer mode. There was a flash of red light and a doll of himself, complete with a staff and hat, popped into the air, floating gently down into Nyan's hands.  
  
Her eyes glowed. "Cute!" She hugged it to herself, rubbing its head against her cheek.  
  
Chichiri smiled. It seemed Nyan was still a little girl, although she had the appearance of a sixteen-year old. He picked up his bags and set his hat on his head, tipping it. "Well, I'll be seeing you later then, no da."  
  
He started to disappear under the hat, but Nyan grabbed him. "Wait! I still have to give you your present!"  
  
Chichiri lifted his hat and he reappeared. "What?"  
  
She pressed the package into his hand. "This is from all of us, to help you when trouble finds you." A smile came to her face. "I think you'll recognize it." Then she backed away and waved, still clutching the doll to her. "Good bye! And thank you for the doll!"  
  
Chichiri nodded and disappeared through the hat.  
  
"And don't get yourself killed," Nyan added softly. "You're still my little brother in this life..."  
  
......................  
  
I am still in the process of planning this whole story, so some things might not make sense or be choppy. ; Sorry about that. If I do make changes to a chapter though, I'll make sure to let you people know. Many thanks to those who have reviewed so far!  
  
Oh yeah, and I'll try to bring in some more of the Taiitsukun seishi. So far only two have shown up. XD Next chapter, watch for Hotohori, all you emperor fans!


	7. To a Star

Disclaimer: All that usual stuff.   
  
Special Disclaimer: Hey! It's Houki here! I really wish to thank MercuryMoon for finally adding my love to her story.  
  
And not even on my demand! Actually a bit though, but anyways.... Thankies! (I will have my own account under the name of Houki Seishuku soon, so be sure to check it out!...hehe –Sorry for the small commercial, on with the story-):  
  
**Chapter Seven – To a Star  
  
** Hotohori sat on the throne, listening idly to his advisors tell him he needed to find a wife soon. He sighed and closed his eyes, pushing back his bangs. Would they ever stop badgering him? Didn't they know he was only going to marry one person? Finally he slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair. "The only woman I shall ever marry is Houki! Either that, or a woman more beautiful than me!"  
  
The advisors were shocked into silence. "But Your Highness-!"  
  
"Silence!" Hotohori rose from his throne. "I am going to the gardens," he said through clenched teeth. "And I don't want to hear any more nonsense about a marriage for the rest of the day." He stormed out and headed straight for the gardens, muttering to himself. It wasn't like him to explode like this, and he wasn't quite sure what had brought upon that sort of violent reaction. He sighed. Later he would have to apologize, although it really did irritate him when they asked so many inane questions like that.  
  
Something appeared under his foot and Hotohori raised his robe so he could see what it was. It was a hat. What more, it was rising with every passing second. He almost screamed, but managed to hold it in, stumbling backwards in the process so his hat slipped off.  
  
The figure had risen fully from the ground now and tipped his hat at Hotohori. Light blue hair was revealed, showing a slight mohawk, and he caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking scar.  
  
Hotohori swallowed. "Hello Chichiri. Nice day to pop up."

.........

Later in the day, Chichiri and Hotohori were in the conference room. Hotohori still hadn't recovered from meeting his old friend again so suddenly and in such a manner, but on the outside, he was his usual composed self.  
  
Chichiri had set his hat on top of his bag and was thinking to himself. Hotohori looked him over sadly. His friend's garb was still the familiar old one, but with a few changes in the style that matched the fashion of today. His eyes rested on the scar on Chichiri's face and a lump rose in his throat. So even in this life, his friend couldn't find peace.  
  
Hotohori cleared his throat. "How have you been recently?"  
  
"Met up with Taiitsukun again," Chichiri said. "You?"  
  
"My advisors." Hotohori rolled his eyes. "They want me to marry."  
  
He got an eyebrow raise from Chichiri. "What kind of girl are you thinking of now? One like Miaka?"  
  
Hotohori laughed. "That I doubt." A soft look came into his eyes and he rested his head on his hand. "Miaka, she was a one-of-a-kind girl. I doubt I'll see someone like her ever again."  
  
"Or someone with as huge an appetite as her, no da," Chichiri mused.  
  
Both of them chuckled, for neither of them doubted that fact. Hotohori recovered first and smiled. "Chichiri, would you like to pay a visit to the shrine of Suzaku?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Come, this way." Hotohori extended his hand, moving it in a halfway circle, and stood. Chichiri followed suit and the two of them left the room.

.......  
  
They, two of the Suzaku seishi, the monk and the emperor. To each other, they were the Well and the Star. Chichiri had always been the best advisor he had, Hotohori thought as they walked. There were of course times he had urged him to marry in the past, but they had been quiet urgings. Now his friend was silent.  
  
The two of them soon reached their destination and as Chichiri bowed before the door of the shrine, he caught sight of the holy sword Taiitsukun had given Hotohori. The bracers Nuriko had worn too were there.  
  
Hotohori noticed what Chichiri was looking at and smiled. "Nuriko's family donated the bracelets, but Tasuki, being his ornery self, refused to part with his tessen. I don't know what happened to Chiriko's scroll or Mitsukake's spirit water though."  
  
Chichiri knew. After all, he had the scroll with him. As for the spirit water... He closed his eyes. Mitsukake had given it to him before he died, but Chichiri didn't know what happened to it. There were still some memories from his past life that weren't quite clear to him.  
  
The two stood in silence before Suzaku's statue as they remincesed about the past. Finally, Hotohori broke the silence. "Let's go."  
  
As they left, neither of them noticed the statue of Suzaku weeping.

............  
  
_ His Highness seems down, no da_, Chichiri thought the next day as he walked through the corridors. He knew he had to leave, but he wanted to find Hotohori first. For a moment, he wished for his mask so he could cheer up the emperor, but even then he wasn't sure how that would help.  
  
He reached up and touched the tip of his staff thoughtfully. Not much had changed in the palace, but some of the trees had been replaced with pillars of some sort. He was about to go closer to inspect them when he heard Hotohori call his name.  
  
"Chichiri! There you are!"  
  
He bowed before the emperor. "Your Highness."  
  
Hotohori smiled. "No need for those formalities."  
  
Chichiri nodded. "All right, Your Highness."  
  
Hotohori started to respond, but he noticed the bag over Chichiri's shoulder. "Leaving?"  
  
Chichiri looked up at him, as he was a few inches shorter. "I was wondering, Your Highness. Have you seen or heard from Chiriko recently?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, no. He didn't apply for the exams this time."  
  
Chichiri digested that. "Strange. I wonder why."  
  
Hotohori leaned against the bar. "Perhaps you can ask Tasuki? Last I remember, he was still with the Mt. Leikaku bandits." An amused light came into his eyes. "I heard he was busy flaming trees, so be careful. That straw hat of yours...."  
  
Chichiri laughed. "I'll be fine. Thank you, Your Majesty." He stepped into his hat. "I'll be leaving to greet Tasuki next then, no da."  
  
Hotohori stood and watched his friend leave. He sighed and began to walk back to his quarters.  
  
"Your Highness! There you are!" His advisors ran up to him. "We must return to the subject of your marriage immediately!"  
  
For a moment, he wished he had the holy sword with him.

........  
  
For over five hundred years, the legend of the Mt. Leikaku bandits lived on, sustained by the bandits themselves. Robbers who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, many of the peasants revered them. Now he, Hakuyo, or Genrou as he was known to his men, intended to make their name last forever.  
  
Genrou grabbed his tessen and flung up a few spell cards. "Rekka... _Shin'nen_!" Fire burst from his iron fan and roasted the wolves that had come to life. He grinned. A job well done.  
  
He walked over to one of the few trees that hadn't been burnt down yet and sat down, thinking of his old friends. How were they in this new era they had been reincarnated in? He knew he was doing fine, better even than he had been doing before, but everyone else? Hotohori, he knew, had been reincarnated to yet again be the Emperor of Konan. Definitely a hard job, but he knew his friend could do the job well. After all, he had the experience from his past life, right? Not everyone could claim that. And what about Tamahome or Chichiri? And Mitsukake and Chiriko? Hopefully Tamahome had found a job that paid him lots of money, for he most likely was a money hog in this life, too.  
  
Genrou found himself wanting to see Nuriko again. The two of them had been extremely close in their past life, and he had wept more than he had ever wept when he died. He wondered if Nuriko had been born a girl or not this time. It was quite an interesting concept. After all, if it happened once, couldn't it happen again?  
  
A warning went through his head and he jumped up. An enemy was near! Looking around, he didn't spot anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't hiding. If they couldn't see him, they wouldn't be able to attack. Therefore... Genrou quickly climbed up the tree and grasped his tessen in his hand tightly. As soon as he spotted someone...

........  
  
There was rain falling down from the skies, pattering gently down on Seiryuu. He looked up, knowing it was a bad omen. At any other place, he would have enjoyed it, being the God of Water, but here, at Mt. Taiyoku, where the Gods themselves controlled the weather, the only feeling he could feel was one of foreboding.  
  
Thoughts ran through his head. How had Tenkou come free? He had been sure Suzaku's Priestess had sealed him for another thousand years. Only five hundred years had passed since she had done it. There had to be some way he had broken free, but how? Was he really that powerful now? Or had someone done the unthinkable and released him like they had done last time? If so, who? And why had it taken them so long to notice?  
  
He wondered about his seishi. How were they? Seiryuu wanted to check on them, to see how they were doing in their new lives, but he remembered what had happened with Suzaku and Byakko. It was a pity Yui hadn't come after Suzaku's Priestess; even a year or two later would have worked out. Things would have turned out differently then. Tomo. He wondered how Tomo was. Tomo was his favorite and it had wounded him deeply when the seishi had turned to Tenkou. However, he had gained favor when he volunteered to help fight against his old master.  
  
Again his thoughts turned to Tenkou. He couldn't help it, but somehow he found himself drawn to his enemy. It was ironic, for he had been the one who wanted to kill the demon most and had sworn to do so after Tenkou had turned the majority of his seishi against him. Perhaps it was the destructive way the demon handled everything, something that was also a part of Seiryuu's personality. Although he tried to hide the malevolent side of him, there were times when it came out, unleashing its fury at anyone who dared cross his path. It always took Seiryuu a while to subdue that side of him and every single time, he regretted what had happened as a result.  
  
The rain continued to fall as if in a never-ending dream on the pensive God, each droplet making a tiny splash in the damp grass of the gardens.

.........

Rather interesting chapter for me to write, seeing as I can't portray the seishi exactly.. Anyways, you have to remember that since the seishi are reincarnations, they will be different from the ones we're familiar with.

If you read this, please review. .. It would be nice to know what people think of this.


	8. A Winged Flame

For those of you who have been keeping up with the story, (and I really thank you for this ) I have rewritten Chp 2, thanks to help from Clarinet. :)

Also beware of Chichiri OOCness.

Disclaimer: FY and all its characters belong to Yuu Watase.

**Chapter Eight – A Winged Flame**

Chichiri rose from the ground, looking around curiously. It had been a while since he had last been in this region. He wondered how he would find Tasuki here. Maybe he could do a chi search?

He picked up his hat and set it on his head. There were some trees in the distance and he wanted to rest for a while, maybe even sleep before he searched for his bandit friend.

_'I heard he was busy flaming trees, so be careful,'_ Hotohori's last words rang through his head.

Chichiri laughed. As there were trees in this region, he reckoned Tasuki hadn't been here yet. However, two things he failed to notice was the singed grass, slightly charred from the heat of recent fire, and the faint scent of trailing smoke.

"Rekka.... _Shin'nen_!"

Chichiri blinked as his hat caught on fire. His hat, his precious hat! He leaped backward and flung it on the ground before the flames caught on his hair, too. "No DA?!" What was going on?

"Enemies, be– oh Chichiri, it's you?"

Chichiri turned slowly at the sound of the voice. He glared at the guilty bandit. "Tasuki, you. Burned. My. HAT!!!"

* * *

Kutou, land of Seiryuu. It had once been a war-torn country, but lately, a good Emperor had come to rule. He was Habori, a brilliant strategist who had already won many battles. Now it was night in the country, and few wandered the streets of the capital. Who but the foolhardy or extremely brave dared to, when it was patrolled by none other than the Seiryuu seishi?

Eniru leaped from roof to roof, watching over his beloved city. His light blue eyes scanned the streets of Haron, the capital of Kutou. His dark brown hair was tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, lightly brushing his elbows, with a metal ring around his forehead, a slight decoration in the middle. Two bangs stuck out. If anyone looked at him, they would have assumed he was an ordinary townsperson, richer than most because of the fancy designs sewn onto his sleeves. His jacket was a dark navy, shielding him from pedestrians, with a dragon etched on the high collar.

Of the Seiryuu Celestial Warriors, he was Miboshi, the Advisor. At twenty-six, he was already a close friend of the Emperor of Kutou, having grown up with him. In fact, he was using that connection to locate his six comrades. For more than a year, he had been sensing a strange presence in the air. He wasn't sure what it was, but his instincts told him they weren't good.

Of the six other Seiryuu Warriors, Nakago, Ashitare, and Soi had already been assembled. Now all he had to do was find Amiboshi, Suboshi, and Tomo. Recently, he had gotten some leads on Tomo's whereabouts and was looking into it. Ashitare and Soi had volunteered to help him, but Nakago, being a general in the army, couldn't help as much as he wanted. It didn't matter though, because with Ashitare, Soi, and his combined skills, they could track just about anyone down.

His keen eyes spotted a lone man running through the streets, carrying something on his back. Something about his manner bothered Miboshi and he stealthily began tracking him on the roofs. He considered possessing him, but he didn't think he should do it. Yet.

There was a quiet snarl behind him and he turned, smiling when he realized who it was. Ashitare was standing before him in his great wolf form, his steel-grey fur rippling in the night air. There was a slight shimmer in the air and Ashitare shifted to his human form, a young man of twenty-three with long indigo hair flowing loose down to his waist. It was a wonder his light grey robes weren't ripped from the transformation, but Miboshi supposed it was from years of practice.

Ashitare nodded at the escaping man. "He your latest victim?" His voice was sultry, with a crisp edge to it and was a low tenor, not quite at the ranks of bass. His green eyes were almost cat-like in appearance, but not as delicate. Something about them always gave a person the impression that he was thinking, scheming about just about anything.

Miboshi raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

Ashitare morphed back to his wolf form and Miboshi heard his voice in his head. –I'll help.-

Miboshi shrugged nonchalantly and began running across the roofs again, Ashitare close behind him. When they were close enough to the fleeing man, they leaped down. Miboshi's eyes hardened as he and Ashitare dove in for the kill.

* * *

Chichiri looked at the burnt remains of his hat, at a loss for words. He couldn't believe it. His hat, his favorite means of transportation, was destroyed. He knew he should have heeded Hotohori's warning.

Tasuki grinned sheepishly. "I'm real s'rry, Chichiri, but I thought you were an enemy."

Chichiri forced himself to remain calm. His friend hadn't done it on purpose. His friend hadn't done it on purpose. After all, what with Tenkou and everything, anyone could be an enemy. He closed his eyes and drew his breath in, forcing himself to remember why he was there. "It's all -"

Chichiri opened his eyes, only to see that Tasuki had taken the burnt straw hat and was in the process of burying it. A grave marker had already been set up and the bandit was poking incense sticks in the all-too-singed hat. A vein popped out of the monk's head.

"TASUKI!!!!"

* * *

Half an hour later, Chichiri finally got around to what he wanted to say. There was the half hour merely because of the string of crazy antics Tasuki pulled. Burying the straw hat had been but the first of things the bandit did. He really didn't want to remember what else his friend had done, but it had involved fire. Typical of Tasuki actually.

When Chichiri had asked Tasuki if he knew the whereabouts of Chiriko, the bandit had stopped shooting flames in the air long enough to say he didn't know. However, he did want to know if the little scholar was still afraid of ghosts. He could still remember the time Chiriko's sign had disappeared and he had reverted to his other personality.

"Ghost Boy," Tasuki had chuckled, remembering Tamahome's childhood nickname. "Oooh boy, wish Tama-boy was here." He then told Chichiri to start looking for Chiriko at his hometown from Miaka's day. Perhaps he had been reincarnated there?

Chichiri's thoughts turned to Chichan. Chichan had been the one who had given him Chiriko's scroll, so maybe he was related to Chiriko's reincarnation somehow. It was probably a good idea to look him up first, to see if he knew anything about Chiriko.

Tasuki looked up. "Chichiri, are ya wearin' a mask?"

Chichiri punched him.

* * *

On a cliff in Sairou near the capital, a man of about thirty was standing, silhouetted against the sky. His long violet hair was braided, reaching down past his waist and held back at the forehead by a thin band of silver decorated with tiny golden gemstones. His bangs were chin-length, thin and widely separated, and if one looked at his eyes, he would have found an unfathomable ocean in the deep blue. The sun was setting behind him and the man watched the bustling castle almost scornfully, the place where he worked at and was a close friend of the emperor's. His name was Takayama Shii, but he was known by another to those who knew him.

There were many things he desired in the world but few ways to actually obtain him. This newest idea of his was probably going to get him everything he wanted, but he knew it was literally playing with fire. After all, the demon his father had released could turn against him any moment. Not exactly something he had planned, but if something like that did happen, he was prepared.

His long dark blue robe covered the jeweled sword at his waist. He smiled, a faint one that portrayed not his lust for what did not belong to him. Extremely intelligent and a skilled fighter, having been trained from a young age, he had quickly risen in the ranks of the army and soon became a top general and Chief Advisor. Being just a few years older than the Emperor himself, the two had become close friends. However, Shii wasn't interested in friends; he wanted power, to be the ruler of Sairou or even all five of the countries. Unfortunately, that wasn't the easiest thing to obtain. The Emperor of Sairou had many friends and it was difficult to turn his people against him. Then again, there were the cursed Byakko seishi, who protected him. He knew he couldn't defeat all seven of them together with the skills he had now; he had to get rid of them some other way. What better way than to have the demon his family had released do the dirty work for him? He laughed. The events that were going to happen over the next few months were really going to be fun for him.

* * *

Suzaku, Nyan, and Byakko were walking through the main hall on their way to the War room. Byakko had fallen slightly behind as he walked slowly thinking to himself. Ahead, Suzaku and Nyan were talking animatedly. Byakko smiled a little, for he knew the two of them well. As usual, the pair was joking around, seeing who could make the other laugh first at their crazy jokes. He fingered the rich silk of his sleeve, feeling the etched tiger on it. The thread was smooth and had been specially woven for him by Nyan. Of course, Nyan had always sewn the decorations on their clothes, but he especially liked the tiger. He looked Suzaku over carefully, noting the red phoenix that traveled the length of his robe.

All of a sudden, Byakko felt something go through him and he jerked in mid-step. A shocked look came over his face and he collapsed.

"Byakko!"

There was a blur of red and Suzaku shot over, catching his brother before he hit the ground. He touched his hand to Byakko's forehead and winced. It was slick with sweat, as if he had a high fever.

"What's wrong with him?" Nyan asked anxiously. She felt her heart skip a beat when Suzaku didn't answer. Her voice slid up an octave in her fear. "He's not.. dead, is he?"

Suzaku lifted Byakko's limp body and bit his lip. The tiger God's eyes were closed and his breath was coming out shallowly. Suzaku looked down at his brother worriedly, his crimson eyes shining. He felt something stir in him, the heat of the emotion warming his body. Who had dared do such a thing to his brother? For sure Byakko hadn't deserved it, being the least likely of the Four Gods to make enemies with his easygoing nature. Then it hit him. Of course. It had to be Tenkou, for the girl who had sealed the demon away the first time had been Byakko's Priestess.

"All of a sudden, he lost a lot of chi," Suzaku finally said. "He'll be all right, but I don't know how long it'll take him to recuperate."

"Lost chi? You don't think..." Nyan's voice trailed off.

"I think it does," Suzaku said determinedly. He knew what it meant, but he didn't want to alarm Nyan. As they all knew, there were only two ways to knock a God unconscious. One of them was the death of his seishi, for a lot of chi was released when that happened. The other way was to sap his chi directly, feeding off the energy and transferring the power to one. He wasn't sure which one it had been, but he knew there was a possibility that both of them had been used. Definitely a severe breach on their security.

Suzaku shifted Byakko so his brother could be more comfortable and began walking toward the Tiger Room. "Tell Taiitsukun I'll be there later," he called over his shoulder.

Nyan nodded mutely and began running down the hall.

So. Tenkou had finally made his move, Suzaku thought. He looked at Byakko, who was still breathing shallowly, sweat beading on his forehead. And what a destructive move it had been.

* * *

Hm.. this chapter was a bit strange in my opinion. The insertion of Miboshi was random, I realize, but there IS a point to it. Anyways, I promise to stop skipping around so much in the next chapter.. --; 


	9. The Stretching of Shadows

Time for a "sweet" reunion between two old friends..

Disclaimer: All that usual stuff.

**Chapter Nine – The Stretching of Shadows**

Chichiri rode through the streets of Akanin, a city near the capital of Konan. He was still angry at Tasuki for burning his hat, but he decided it couldn't be helped. His friend had always done hare-brained things like that.

He thought back to how he had gotten the horse he was currently riding. It was a beauty, and he hadn't seen many like her, with her chestnut mane, almost scarlet. The way she moved was phenomenal, too. It was easy to guide her down the roads, for she obeyed without pause. Kouji, or Meji as he was known in this life, had acquired it for him. At first, Tasuki hadn't wanted to give him the horse, especially since he had punched his friend right between the eyes, but after some arguing by Meji on Chichiri's behalf, the bandit had changed his mind. After all, it was for the good of Konan, right?

A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. He would have asked Tasuki if he had wanted to accompany him, but he knew it wasn't a good idea. No one could know about the gathering seishi until they were all together. Secrecy. That was a key point in this plan Taiitsukun had devised to counter Tenkou. Of course.. he had told the Byakko seishi about it, but that was before he knew the importance of it.

Finally, he reached the house where Chiriko had been raised during Miaka's time. He, along with Tasuki, Miaka, and Taka, had visited when they had been searching for Chiriko's memory orb. Chichiri pulled his horse to a stop and jumped off lightly. He looked the house over, making sure it was the right one and tied his horse to a post. Giving it a pat, for it had been a good horse, Chichiri began heading up the steps leading to the crimson front door.

"Hidoen? Hidoen, is that you?"

Chichiri turned and saw a young man running toward him. His hand had raised halfway to his face before he realized who it was. "Tsuriko!"

Tsuriko stopped running, a big grin on his face. "Hidoen, so it is you," he said solemnly.

"How have you been, no da?"

Tsuriko shrugged. "All right. Kageyo's been busy studying though, so Father sends me out to do all the errands."

Kageyo. The boy's sweet smile flitted through Chichiri's head. So the child was going to take the exams this year again? Hopefully he would pass all three of the tests this time. He wanted him to succeed, for he knew it had been the old Chiriko's dream to pass the exams. Maybe it wasn't the same thing, but it was close enough.

"Do you want to see Kageyo?" Tsuriko asked, shaking Chichiri out of his thoughts.

He nodded. If he had a chat with his old friend, maybe it could bring his spirits up. It was definitely something he needed.

Tsuriko turned and started up the stairs, passing Chichiri. "Let's go then."

The two of them entered the house and began walking down the hall, which was decorated with various paintings and calligraphy on the walls. Chichiri tried to get a good look of each of them, but because there were so many, he only saw a few. Tsuriko stopped in front of a large red door and knocked. "Kageyo, are you busy? There's a guest here for you."

"Come in," a boy called from inside, and Tsuriko slid the door open. Chichiri followed his friend inside and was greeted by a slightly feminine-looking teenage boy. Looking closer, he saw that Chichan's russet hair was pulled into a high braid, with a few strands hanging loose at the side of his angular face. His emerald eyes, which were half-covered by his bangs, were intelligent and studied him quietly. They flitted to Chichiri's scar, and Chichiri looked away, ashamed.

"Hello. Do I know you?" the boy asked politely.

Chichiri was silent for a moment. "What do you think, no da?"

"Richan!" There seemed to be an explosion and Chichiri suddenly found himself knocked to the wall. "You came, just like you promised!" Kageyo cried.

Chichiri grinned meekly. "I did, didn't I, no da?" He held up his pinky. "Isn't a promise a promise and something meant to be kept?"

Kageyo's eyes were bright as he linked pinkies with Chichiri. "Of course!"

There was an amused smile on Tsuriko's face. "And what about ole' Tsuchan here? Didn't you miss me, too?"

Chichiri laughed and pulled the young man to him, rubbing his hair. "And why wouldn't I?"

"Oy! OY! No touchie the hair!" Tsuriko pulled away and gazed reproachfully at Chichiri. "You know I don't like it."

Chichiri raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, it's been at least six years since we've seen each other.." He stroked his chin thoughtfully, a mischievous look in his eye. "I could have forgotten, no da." His eye flickered and his demeanor suddenly became serious as he looked at them curiously. "Do you -"

The wall in front of them exploded and Chichiri flung himself over his two friends, shielding them with his body. He ignored the rocks pelting down on his body and quickly whirled around, doing a twist with his staff and erecting a shield.

There was a gust of wind and a young man stepped lightly onto the wooden floor. Chichiri's eyes widened when he realized who it was. But why was he here? Wasn't he supposed to be at the Byakko shrine with the others?

Karasuki spotted Chichiri, Kageyo, and Tsuriko in the corner and a cruel smile came over his face. He flipped his olive-green hair behind him, sniggering. "Ah.. Chichiri, one of the Taiitsukun Seven, am I correct?" He looked at his left hand as he twirled it once in the air. "Fancy meeting you here."

Chichiri clambered up as fast as he could and set his staff horizontally in defense position. He wasn't sure what was wrong with the Byakko seishi, but he had to be prepared for anything. "Karasuki! What are you doing here, attacking Kageyo and Tsuriko's house like this?

Karasuki laughed and raised an eyebrow. He extended his hand and pointed it at Kageyo, who had come up from behind Chichiri. "What other reason but because of him?"

At first, Chichiri was puzzled, but then as all the pieces fell together, it hit him. Of course! The legendary scroll of Suzaku that had once belonged to Chiriko, even the resemblance to his old friend. Kageyo was the reincarnation of Chiriko, making him one of the Taiitsukun seishi! But why was Karasuki attacking them? Didn't he realize that Chiriko was needed for the battle against Tenkou?

"Let me handle him," Kageyo's soft voice came from behind, and he walked out of the shield, his hands stretched out. There was a dangerous smile on his face. "You wanted me?" he called out to Karasuki. "Well, come and get me then..."

Chichiri started forward, but Tsuriko yanked him back. "Kageyo can handle him, don't worry. He's been training."

He wanted to argue, but forced it down. Instead, he silently observed Kageyo. There was a different aura to him now, something that had replaced the timidness that once surrounded the boy during Miaka's time. Then he remembered what Taiitsukun had said about them gaining new powers as a result of becoming her seishi. Perhaps that was what she meant.

Chiriko's eyes began to glow turquoise and her hands formed a circle as power began emitting from her. With a few well-chosen words, she swept her hands up and lashed out with a shot of ice.

Karasuki leaped into the air, cursing as the ice cut through his tan robe. "Why you...!" He raised a hand in the air and rocks flew up. With a slash, he sent them flying toward Chiriko.

Her sign flared brighter on her foot, the scarlet deepening until it was black, and she seemed to push the air. The rocks were repelled by shards of ice that had flown up and they hit the ground.

"Not good enough," Chiriko said lightly as she drew her hand slowly back. She suspected that her opponent wasn't fighting with his full power, but it didn't matter. Never again could she be called the weakest of the Suzaku Seven. In this new life, she had gained powers that could defeat many who challenged her. How she had received them she didn't know, but it didn't matter at the moment.

Karasuki smiled again. "One does gain many benefits when becoming a Taiitsukun seishi, don't you think?"

"What?"

"You didn't know? You're one of the Taiitsukun seishi," Karasuki said. He took a step backward, scrutinizing the situation. There was an almost jerky manner to his movement, something Chiriko took into account now that she could watch him more carefully. Something about him didn't seem natural.

Chichiri too noticed it as he had watched the two fight. Karasuki seemed so different from their first meeting. It almost seemed as if he had had a personality change. But how was that possible? He bit his lip, worried for Chiriko. Although he knew Chiriko was a lot stronger than he used to be, he didn't know the extent of Karasuki's power.

Suddenly, Karasuki jerked and grabbed his head. "D-Damn!" His green eyes blazed with anger and he leaped backward. "I'll be back, Taiitsukun seishi!" There was a flash of orange light and the seishi vanished, leaving Chiriko, Chichiri, and Tsuriko to stand there, shocked.

Chiriko whirled on Chichiri. "What did Karasuki mean by me being a Taiitsukun seishi?" he demanded.

Chichiri pointed to the sign on his friend's foot, which was glowing black. "That, no da."

There was silence. Then Chiriko looked up, his eyes mystified. "How is this possible? Does it.." He looked around the room, surveying the damage that had been done to their house. Luckily, because it opened into their backyard, outsiders couldn't see it and none had come running to see what was wrong.

Chichiri wasn't sure how to explain. For a moment, he wished Taiitsukun had left him instructions, but then he remembered the orb she had given him. Taking it out, he showed it to Chiriko.

Chiriko immediately recognized the orb when Chichiri took it out. Tasuki had told her about it in the past, and she wondered about its significance, about why Chichiri was showing it to her. Wasn't it the one that Miaka had used to find the Suzaku seishi? Why did Chichiri have it?

Two characters floated up from the black ball. "'Ice' and 'Scroll,' no da," Chichiri said. "You work with ice and you were the one who gave me the Holy Scroll." He smiled. "Proof that you're a Taiitsukun seishi."

Taiitsukun seishi. She could vaguely remember hearing that phrase before, but where? Chiriko racked her mind, searching for the memory that would have told her.

"...fact that your sign is black now shows that, too," Chichiri was saying.

"Hold on, what's all this about?" Tsuriko interrupted. "What's this about seishi? You can't be talking about Suzaku, right?"

There was an uneasy face on Chichiri's face, as if he wasn't sure how to explain. Chiriko watched him closely, silently noting the scar across his right eye that marred his otherwise handsome face. She wanted to ask him about it, but in her heart, she knew it wasn't a good idea.

The door burst open, revealing a disheveled woman with flour on her apron and in her hair. "Kageyo, Tsuriko, what or who was that?!"

"M-"

Chiriko knocked Tsuriko aside, interrupting him. "Mother, you do remember Shou Hidoen, right? He's come by to visit. Isn't that great?"

"By exploding our wall?" she asked doubtfully. "When did normal visitors do that kind of stuff?"

Chiriko nodded cheerfully. "Of course. He always did that kind of stuff, remember?"

Their mother nodded, unsure. "Well.." she looked Chichiri over and changed the subject. "You've grown, haven't you?"

Chichiri smiled wryly. "It's been a while, Madam Liao. We all change, no da."

Madam Liao wiped her hands on her apron and laughed. "All right then, I'll leave the three of you young ones to catch up on the years then. But..." her voice trailed off as her eyes rested on the rubble. "Please do refrain from destroying anymore of the house. I know we can easily replace it, but I would prefer not to do so over and over."

Chichiri bowed. "That I'll keep in mind, no da."

Madam Liao smiled and closed the door, quietly leaving the three of them alone.

Tsuriko gave Chiriko a skeptical look. "Hidoen always explode stuff? He was the one who always stopped us from destroying everything! If you're going to lie, at least do a good job of it!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Would you have wanted Mother to find out that we'd been attacked then? If so, I could have told her the truth. I'm sure she would have appreciated knowing."

"Well... no.."

"See what I mean?"

"But what about Hidoen?" Tsuriko protested. "All the blame was laid on him!"

"It's all right," Chichiri said softly. "It involves me anyways, no da." He shifted his staff on his shoulder, then glanced at Chiriko. "Did you want to come with me on my quest?" he finally asked.

Chiriko smiled wryly. "Even if I said no, you would still make me come, wouldn't you?"

* * *

I don't know how much I liked this chapter.. It was all right I guess.. Anyways, it's about time another seishi showed up. Nine chapters into the story, and only two out of the seven have been found? Good thing the others will show up soon. :P

I will also be doing a rewrite of Chapter One and changing some of the ideas around, so look for the next time I update. :)


	10. The Fighting Spirit

Disclaimer: All that usual stuff.

And now you'll see why I had that random insert of the Seiryuu seishi. :)

**Chapter Ten - The Fighting Spirit**

Genbu burst out of the War room. "Where is he? Where is Byakko? _Where is that demon who hurt him_!"

Suzaku had followed close after him. "Genbu, wait! You need to calm down and think this through rationally!"

"You can't hold me back, Suzaku!" Genbu roared. "You cannot!"

Suzaku grabbed Genbu by his arms, barely managing to contain his elder brother. "Seiryuu, help me stop Genbu!"

No one came however, and the phoenix's mind raced frantically. After he had carried Byakko to his room, he had headed to the War Room. Thinking that Nyan had told them the excuse he had provided for her, Suzaku had tried to keep up a brave face to mask the fear pounding inside his heart. But when Taiitsukun had asked him where Byakko was, he had accidentally let up on what had happened. Enraged, Genbu had immediately leaped up and stormed toward Byakko's room. It was all he could do to contain his older brother and without the help of Seiryuu or Nyan, he wasn't sure how long he could do it.

"Stop! None of this is going to help Byakko!" Suzaku almost screamed. "Seiryuu, where are you!"

Was this Tenkou's plan? The demon was indeed devious if he had figured out the Gods' greatest weaknesses. It was each other.

x x x x x

Miboshi was talking with Emperor Habori when Soi entered. The two men had been discussing for nearly an hour, and Miboshi was relieved about the interruption. The emperor, with his bright mind, always managed to keep the seishi on his toes.

"Your Majesty, Miboshi, I have come to announce that Nakago has found the Seiryuu Celestial Warriors Amiboshi and Suboshi," sixteen-year old Soi reported, keeping her eyes bowed. "Is now a convenient time to greet them?"

Habori smiled graciously. "Now is as good as any other time." To Miboshi, he asked, "You donâ€™t mind, do you?"

Miboshi bowed his head. "If Your Majesty wishes, then by all means we shall."

"No need to be so formal, Lord Eniru. We've known each other for years; don't you think we should have dropped the titles by now?"

"As long as you remain my liege, it is my duty to remain respectful to you, Your Majesty. Time has no meaning to me in this matter."

The emperor, seeing that he couldn't persuade his friend, gave up, and the three of them left the room.

As they walked, Soi debriefed the two about the new Warriors. Eager and bright, they were talented teenage twins and wished to serve their country. Amiboshi, the elder of the two, was pensive and had a flute that he always carried with him. As for Suboshi, he had a ball attached to a thin rope as a weapon. A ryuuseisui, something like that, Soi explained. That was the best way she could describe it. She herself had yet to see them demonstrate their powers, but Nakago had, so she took his word for that.

The hallway ended and Soi led them out to the gardens where two blond boys clothed in deep navy were standing. As Emperor Habori approached, they quickly dropped to their knees. "Your Majesty," they said in unison.

Miboshi watched the two twins, switching into his Advisor mode. Were they really the Seiryuu seishi Amiboshi and Suboshi? Just because they said they were didn't mean they really were.They could have been assassins sent to kill the Emperor. He wasn't even sure he could follow Nakago's word. Even the best of people could be tricked.

Habori ordered Amiboshi and Suboshi up. "Do you see this man bowing before me?" he asked, motioning toward Miboshi. "Or this woman? No no, don't bow before me if they don't."

Miboshi stopped Habori with a hand. "Stop. We have no proof that they are Seiryuu seishi other than their word. It is folly to trust them so easily, and I'm surprised Nakago believed them."

"You accuse us of lying!" Suboshi yelled angrily. "And who would you be, huh?"

Amiboshi grabbed his brother before he could do anything rash. "Stop. The man just wants us to demonstrate our powers."

Suboshi was still angry, but he forced himself to calm down. The brothers nodded and each took out their respective weapons.

"I use this flute to channel my chi," Amiboshi explained.

"And my ryuuseisui is controlled by my will," Suboshi said, a hint of anger still in his voice.

Together they bowed, then backed away. Amiboshi put his flute to his lips and began playing a hauntingly sweet melody.

Oddly enough, Miboshi did not sense anything. There was no release of chi, sudden or gradual. Soi too seemed to have noticed, for one of her eyebrows was arched.

Suboshi was frowning, for he couldn't seem to get his weapon to respond. Instead of doing as he was ordering it to do, it lay limply on the ground.

Taking note of this, Miboshi and Soi's eyes met. Miboshi's spindle flashed out, the point stopping at Amiboshi's throat. "Spy," he spat out.

The young man did not waver. "I speak the truth: I am Seiryuu Celestial Warrior Amiboshi."

"Then why are your powers not working?"

"I don't know."

Soi's whip had knocked the other boy's ryuuseisui out of his hands and she straddled him, pinning his arms behind his back. "You dared lie to His Majesty?" she hissed.

Miboshi turned to Habori. "Your Majesty, do we have permission to kill these two spies?"

The door burst open and Nakago stormed inside. Taking his chance, Amiboshi tried flung himself out of the spindle's point, but Miboshi noticed and slashed quickly.

"Desist at once!" Nakago shouted. "These two are the Seiryuu seishi they claim to be!"

"We gave them a chance to display their powers, but nothing happened!" Soi retorted, still sitting on top of a struggling Suboshi.

A hard glint rose into Nakago's ice-blue eyes. "Soi. Attack me with your lightning."

Habori cut in. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. "Will you explain, Nakago?"

Nakago bowed. "You'll understand in a few moments, Your Majesty." To Soi, "Do it," he ordered. "And release those two immediately. I'm sure they don't appreciate the welcome they've received from the two of you."

"I can't strike one of the Seiryuu seishi, least of all you," Soi protested.

"DO IT!"

Nodding faintly, Soi slowly got off Suboshi, who grabbed his ryuuseisui and crawled over to his brother. A red mark was on his face where he had been shoved to the ground.

Miboshi stared at his spindle, where the tip was a shining crimson. His eyes rested on Amiboshi, who had a thin line traveling from his throat to right shoulder. So he had struck the other young man after all. He hadn't been sure if it had slashed or not.

Stepping a little away from the group, Soi's eyes flickered as she slashed through the air. "Lightning Strike!"

x x x x x x

Back at Mt. Taiyoku, Suzaku had managed to pin Genbu against the wall. Red energy sparked from his fingers and his eyes were livid.

Genbu's lips were drawn back into a snarl as he tried to free himself from his younger brother's iron grip. Who would have thought he be so strong? Apparently he had always underestimated Suzaku.

"Damn it! Stop this, Genbu! We have to think through this clearly!" Suzaku screamed. "This is exactly what Tenkou wants!"

That cursed demon prince. He knew they should have killed him the first time they fought, Genbu thought dully. Sealing him away was too kind for the likes of him. He deserved to be killed slowly, perhaps poisoned. Yes. That was definitely a painful way to die. But through his hazy mind, Suzaku's point shot through, spearing the hatred that had sprung into his heart. Although he wanted vengeance on Tenkou, the best thing at the moment was let Byakko recover. Then together, they would strike.

Sucking in a deep breath, Genbu relucantly cooled down. Suzaku, sensing this, slowly released him.

Genbu closed his green eyes and laughed. "I'm too predictable. Tenkou knew I was going to do something like this."

"I almost did what you did," Suzaku admitted. "If it weren't for Nyan, I would have taken off."

The two laughed nervously.

"Hold on, where's Seiryuu?" Genbu suddenly asked. "Is he with Taiitsukun and Nyan?"

"Shit," Suzaku cursed. He swore a string of curse words, finishing with "Damn it all to hell."

Genbu stared. He hadn't even known his brother's vocabulary was that colorful and here he was reciting like he said them every day. May wonders never cease, he mused.

Suzaku finished and he now turned back to Genbu. "First you, now Seiryuu. Could at least one of you grow a damn brain?"

The turtle God tactfully ignored Suzaku and stood for a moment thinking. He had always known Seiryuu, but he'd thought his brother was more logical than emotional. This was definitely a change from the Seiryuu he had known. There was always a chance he was in the gardens, but this seemed highly unlikely because of the current crisis. Suzaku had obviously realized this, too.

The two brothers looked at each other. With Byakko down for the count and Seiryuu missing, how were they going to defeat Tenkou?

x x x x x x

One could have heard a mouse squeak in the gardens where the Seiryuu seishi spoke. Instead of the lightning Soi had expected, nothing had appeared, much less a spark, from her fingers. She lowered her hand. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Seiryuu," Nakago said smoothly. "Something has happened to him."

Emperor Habori shot up. "Impossible!"

Nakago stared at the emperor coolly. "And why not? Haven't you heard about what's been going on throughout the kingdoms?"

Miboshi turned his head at this. "There is an unbalance in the world, isn't there?"

"Yes. And it's very likely that the Blue Dragon and his brothers have suffered for it. My guess is that none of the other seishi still have their powers."

Soi looked at her hands and clenched them. "There must be something we can do," she insisted.

Miboshi shrugged. "I guess it's just too bad for us." His eyes passed over the twins. "You lucked out this time, boys, but next time..." He wasn't going to bother with those two. He had to find the last seishi even more urgently now and time was wasting. Without another word, he turned and began walking away.

"Aren't you even going to apologize? Aren't you even going to say sorry to my brother?" Suboshi screamed after the seishi.

He ignored him however and continued walking, his long ponytail swinging behind his back.

x x x x x

More in depth on the Seiryuu seishi, especially Eniru. Eniru is the main character in my Seiryuu fic, and I brought him into this one because I liked his personality. :)


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